


A Ticket Off-World

by Chibi_Beaver



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives Lives, Canon-Typical Violence, Conflict, Family Drama, Fives likes jetpacks, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kidnapping, Mandalore, Mandalorian, Mandalorian Clans (Star Wars), Mandalorian Culture, Mando'a Language (Star Wars), Siege of Mandalore, depictions of torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 31,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26921638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibi_Beaver/pseuds/Chibi_Beaver
Summary: Fives escaped Coruscant but got more than he bargained for
Relationships: Alrich Wren/Ursa Wren, Bo-Katan Kryze & Ahsoka Tano, Bo-Katan Kryze & CT-7567 | Rex, Bo-Katan Kryze & Orginal Female Character(s), Bo-Katan Kryze & Satine Kryze, Bo-Katan Kryze & Ursa Wren, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & Ahsoka Tano, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & Anakin Skywalker, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & Bo-Katan Kryze, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & CT-5597 | Jesse, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & Original Female Character(s), CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & Ursa Wren, CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, Ursa Wren & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 38





	1. CT-5555: Fugitive

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on a oneshot from my oneshot fic that I liked enough to write a full fic from it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is fic is based on a oneshot from my oneshot fic (Ch.10) that I liked enough and wanted to write a full fic out of it.
> 
> This is pretty much the same as Ch.10 of my oneshot fic as it is essentially the first chapter of this (the original chapter name is now the fic title)

Fives needed someone to believe him, someone influential. Kix may have believed him but there's not much a clone medic can do in the grand scheme of things, he needed someone higher up, like Rex or General Skywalker and Kix got them to meet him. Finally, a sliver of luck. 

Anakin and Rex walked into the abandoned warehouse as Fives tried to be careful not to reveal himself if the general brought troops. Thankfully he didn't although the general and Rex were confused about the night's events.

Anakin said, “What are we here for Fives?” while walking around in front of Rex.

“I need your help.” Fives said.

Anakin wasn’t sure where to look as he said “I know you do. We know you’re not well. It’s been rough for you these past few days.”

“I’m not crazy!” Fives exclaimed before pleading “please, please, just hear-”. He took a deep breath before finishing his sentence, “what I have to say.” Fives tries to catch his breath as Anakin says “we’re here to help you Fives, just come with us. Let us take you back to the temple.”

As Anakin is speaking, Fives begins to activate a ray shield, out of fear, possibly exaggerated by whatever drug Nala Se had injected into him before meeting with the chancellor. As Anakin finishes his sentence, the ray shield is activated, keeping himself and Rex inside the warehouse. “No!” Anakin exclaimed as he punched the "walls" of the ray shield as if it is going to anything.

Fives then comes out of his hiding spot, getting Anakin and Rex’s attention. Fives then says “I just need you to listen to me, please.”

Anakin, acknowledging that he and Rex are stuck in a ray shield angrily says “I’m not really sure we have any other choice!” as he crosses his arms in frustration. 

“I was framed! Because I know the truth” Fives says as he puts his hands over his chest, referring to himself. He then frantically elaborates “the truth about a plot. A massive deception.” 

“By whom?” Rex asks, firmly. He wants to believe his brother. 

“Well, there’s a sinister plot in the works against the Jedi! I have proof of that! I can prove that everything I know is true beyond a shadow of a doubt!” Fives shouted.

“Show me the evidence” Anakin firmly said, arms still crossed and not happy with being in the ray shield. 

“The evidence is in here. It-It’s in here.” Fives said, pointing to his temple, where his inhibitor chip once was. He takes his index finger down from his temple and says “It’s in all of us. Every clone.”

Anakin was very skeptical and made that known with his facial expression while Rex’s attention had been piqued by the revelation, being a clone himself he wanted to know what Fives was referring to.

“Organic chips built into our genetic code” Fives says as he leans against one of the boxes in exhaustion and frustration. He then describes what they’re supposed to do “to make us do whatever someone wants even kill the Jedi,” he says as he stops leaning on the box. Rex could tell Fives was very distraught by this information. He again says “it’s all in here” while pointing to where his inhibitor chip once was.

Anakin looks angry and distrusting of this ARC trooper but turns to face Rex as if he is looking for a signal from the clone captain. Anakin then says “let’s just get you some help first, then we can review everything. You’ll be okay Fives, but we’ll sort this out” Anakin says reassuringly.

Fives, having seen the look on Anakin’s face yells “ **you don’t believe me!** ” 

“Fives, we are listening to you and we do believe you. We only want to help.” Rex said.

Fives, still very paranoid based on the past few days asks “How do I know that you’re not tricking me? How do I know it won’t be a trap? The Chancellor tried to kill me, I promise you that!”

“The Chancellor?” Anakin asks in disbelief. The Chancellor had been a close friend of Anakin’s and someone who Anakin trusted, the idea that he would be involved in this plot Fives spoke of was absolutely ridiculous.

Fives began to walk around outside the ray shield and said “he’s in on this” with a frustrated tone before saying “I don’t know to what extent, but I know he orchestrated much of this. He told me in the medical bay!” Fives said as he looked at Anakin and Rex.

“He told you. When you tried to assassinate him?!” Anakin says, still in disbelief that the Chancellor would try to kill one of the clones. “You have gone too far Fives! The Chancellor is incapable of what you claim!” Anakin said sternly.

“He is!” Fives exclaimed, pleading for the general to believe him. “I swear to you! You have no idea!”

Fives had realized midway through his pleading that it was pointless. General Skywalker was firmly on the Chancellor's side and Rex would stand with the general. Rex's overt cowardice and covert cooperation was a quality Fives hated about his friend, the same thing happened on Umbara during General Krell's reign of terror on the 501st. Overtly siding with Krell until Krell sent Rex and the 501st after the 212th while on the side, knowing about Fives' plan and not stopping him when as a captain, it was his job to.

"No! Please sir! Believe me" Fives shouted. Soon after he said that, he heard something. It sounded like troops but not the General's. The Chancellor's. He thought Rex and the General didn’t bring troops. If Fives wants to live, he can't stay here much longer. Fives moves towards one of the many crates and begin to slink his way back into the boxes.

"Fives?" Rex questions before hearing a loud sound.

As the Coruscant guard crashes the building, Fives scurries off, not sure where to go. He finds an exit to the warehouse and he must have at least a little bit of luck today because there's an abandoned speeder bike. He quickly gets on it and starts it up. 

"Hey! It works" Fives quietly says as he drives off, trying to get away from the Coruscant guard. He soon realizes why the bike was abandoned. As he is speeding down the levels of Coruscant the bike begins to have problems. It sputters and dips. Fives knows he needs to get to some safe ground before this bike gives out. The bike begins to fall apart and Fives falls onto a platform of what looks to be an abandoned mechanic shop. Fives slides open the door only to be held at gunpoint by a couple of people dressed in armour but clearly trying to hide their affiliation with their ponchos. They weren't droids but they weren't clones either. The person who seems to be their leader approaches him and removes her helmet, revealing a red-headed girl. Her hair is fairly short, only extending to around her chin in terms of length. 

"Who are you and why are you here?" She asks, with her arm out, ready to use whatever weapons were in her armour. Fives could tell quickly that these were Mandalorians. Only Mandalorians had an arsenal of weapons attached to their armour like that.

"I didn't come here on purpose." Fives said, surrendering to the Mandalorians. 

"So how did you get here and why did you walk in?" 

"Ok, so I was escaping from the Coruscant Guard because I'm being framed for attempting to assassinate the Chancellor because I know something I'm not supposed to. Don't worry, I'm unarmed" Fives said. 

"Ah, another rebel. So you walked in here to try and hide?" 

"Yes, I was originally trying to find a way off this planet but my speeder broke down." 

"I tell you what, join our cause and we'll get you off this planet."

"I don't think I have many other options other than death so sure" Fives says, hoping to be spared by the Mandalorians.

"Great, let him go." the redhead commands. The others oblige as they lower their weapons and Fives sits down on the empty stool. 

"Who are you anyway, you're obviously a clone trooper but which one are you?"

"I'm Fives." 

"Oh? I didn't know clones had names. I'm Bo-Katan Kryze."

"So what exactly is your cause anyways?" Fives asks. 

"Mandalore has been occupied by Maul and he is destroying the planet, my homeworld. We weren't exactly recruiting but you do have Mandalorian genes so you might be a good addition." 

"I'll be a good addition once I get some weapons and maybe some new armour. If I'm gonna be on the run, clone trooper armour isn't exactly my best option. Though, Mandalorian genes?" Fives asked, unsure of what Bo-Katan meant.

"Your source is clearly Jango Fett. He was a Mandalorian though he wasn't much more than a common mercenary. Although my faction and Fett's didn't ally, I'm sure neither faction would be okay with what is going on on Mandalore." 

Fives looks confused and Bo-Katan notes this, Fives is merely a clone and family likely wasn't that important as it is to most Mandalorians.

"I can assume you have no way of contacting the Republic?" Bo-Katan asked, changing the subject. 

"Nope, I stole this armour while I was on Kamino." 

"You at least know how to use a weapon right?" The other woman asks. 

"This is Ursa Wren, my second in command, but you do know how to use a weapon right?" Bo-Katan asks. 

"Please tell me this is a rhetorical question. I'm a clone trooper, of course, I know how to use a weapon. Hell, I was an ARC trooper, I definitely can use a weapon" Fives says. 

"At least he can use a weapon, unlike your sister" Ursa scoffed. 

"The fuck did you just say?" Bo-Katan said as she hit the makeshift table. 

"What? You know it's true" Ursa replied. 

"Still, Satine was my sister and yes she was a pacifist but she's still my sister so never say that again or you're dead" Bo-Katan snarled. 

"You act like she meant so much to you yet you were involved with Death Watch who were actively trying to kill her but now that she was killed by Maul she suddenly means the world to you?" 

"She may have been a pacifist but she's more _Mando'ad_ than Maul will ever be!" 

Bo-Katan turns around to see Fives looking confused about why Ursa and Bo-Katan were fighting. 

"Can you give us a minute?" Bo-Katan asked. 

"Sure" Fives says as he moves away from the two girls to give them some privacy. 

"How can you trust some random clone trooper?" Ursa asked. 

"I don't fully trust him but he's another number for us and he can use a weapon." 

"Are you gonna explain our fight to him?" Ursa asked. 

"Obviously, he needs to know our cause so we can determine if we gotta kick him out of the ship" Bo-Katan says as they motion for Fives to come over. He obliges and walks over to the two girls. 

"You can come with us but the second you cause trouble, you're being dumped out of the ship right then and there, got it?" Bo-Katan asked. 

"I wouldn't have it any other way" Fives replied with a smirk before the group prepares to leave.

Fives gets on the ship and gets situated. He has no belongings other than the armour he stole. Bo-Katan soon joins him. Once Fives sees her, he asks "what were you and Ursa fighting about earlier?" 

"Satine was my sister but she also used to be the Duchess of Mandalore. Mandalore's been neutral during the war because of her but she was killed by Maul. Death Watch was an organization that sought to destroy my sister's pacifist government. I was angry that she tried to erase Mandalorian culture. When Maul killed Death Watch's leader, Myself, Ursa and a group of others defected and tried to rescue Satine but failed. Since then we've been exiled from Mandalore but are working to bring Maul to justice. We need to find someone with the Republic. I helped Kenobi escape in hopes he'd help but I've still heard nothing. I've been exiled from Mandalore ever since." 

"Your best bet is someone who isn't a Jedi but isn't a clone. Potentially a politician?" Fives asked.

"I already got my eye on a former Jedi, Ahsoka Tano." 

"Commander Tano? I have no idea where she's at, probably on Coruscant somewhere." 

"Coruscant is such a big planet and we can't stay on Coruscant long since Death Watch is technically a criminal organization although Death Watch doesn't exist anymore, that's why Ursa and I are trying to get off this planet. It'll only be a matter of time before she ends up off-world helping someone anyways. It'll be easier to track her down on a planet that's not Coruscant." 

"Well the Coruscant Guard tracked me down pretty good" Fives said. 

"Yea but you must have lost them somewhere along the way, probably when you snuck into my hideout" Bo-Katan says before Ursa comes aboard and they prepare to leave Coruscant. Leaving the GAR was not an easy decision and he didn't want it to get to this point but if Skywalker won't believe him, it's his only option.


	2. Becoming Mando'ad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fives, Ursa and Bo-Katan sneak onto Concordia to get materials to build a set of Mandalorian armour (and baby Sabine)

Coruscant seemed to shrink as they got further away from Coruscant, Fives reflected upon his decisions from the past few days when he felt a tap on his shoulder, just as the ship goes into hyperspace.

“Hello?” Fives asks the girl behind him.

“Do you know anything about sneaking onto a moon?” Bo-Katan asked.

“Well not really but I’ve snuck around before” Fives said.

“We want to sneak onto Concordia to get to those _Beskar_ mines but if I know Maul and Saxon, Saxon’s got his men everywhere.

“You really didn’t need to do this.”

“I know but quite frankly, you need to ditch that clone armour for some Mandalorian armour if you’re gonna be with Mandalorians, you’re gonna need to be able to stand up to the test if we find ourselves in battle. The only metal that can do that well is _beskar_ , shit can withstand blaster wounds.”

“If you got shot in your current armour, you’d be toast but with Mandalorian armour, you could get shot and the bullet wouldn’t even go through” Ursa interjected.

“Impressive” Fives said, almost dejectedly. He wasn’t sure how willing he’d be to let go of clone armour. It’s all he had ever known. He decided to go to sleep until they landed on Concordia.

Hours later, Fives is shaken awake by Bo-Katan,

“We’re about to land on Concordia, find yourself a poncho, we got a collection of them on this ship” Bo-Katan said before walking away.

Fives rubbed his eyes as he woke up and looked around the ship.

“Where are these damn ponchos?” Fives grumbled as he looked into the many nooks and crannies of this ship. This was nothing like any Republic ship he had seen before. After looking in what seemed to be 5 different closet compartments, he finally found the ponchos. Now to find one that would fit, Fives thought. Almost all of these ponchos were made for women. Now that he thought of it, he hadn’t seen a male within this whole group, not that it was a bad thing because he knew these women could easily hold their own. He sifted through the closet until he found one that looked like it would fit. He put it on just as Ursa came looking for him.

“C’mon, we don’t got all day.”

Fives, Bo-Katan and Ursa snuck around Concordia, hoping not to run into any guards. Fives was tasked with carrying the backpack in which they would put the metal in. The terrain on Concordia was rough, all the mining throughout the years almost turned it into a wasteland but Satine’s government attempted to repurpose Concordia into an agriculture planet, regardless of the mountainous terrain near the mines. Despite the rough terrain, the planet was surprisingly lush. More lush than most planets he saw as a clone trooper. Fives tried to use the past tense when referring to his time with the 501st, he made his decision when he tried to escape the Coruscant Guard and now he had to live with it. The reality of the situation had finally sat in.

There were guards on both sides of the mine so Fives, Bo-Katan and Ursa had to make an attack from behind. Bo-Katan needs to quickly yet stealthily find her way around the mountain, using her jetpack would be faster but it would likely cause a ruckus but Bo-Katan lived on Concordia long enough that she knew all the shortcuts around the mountains.

Meanwhile, Ursa and Fives did their best to keep themselves hidden from the men Maul likely has stationed around the mine. One of them seems to have discovered them as Fives turns around began to engage the guy, Ursa soon joined in as she hit the guys comm link before he could call for backup. Fives eventually knocked the guy unconscious and Ursa used the knife in the arm of her armour to slit his throat.

“It’s only gonna be a matter of time before they find this” Fives said, he hadn’t intended to kill the guy.

They don’t have time to decide what to do before Bo-Katan asks through the comm link _“Where are you two?”_

“We’re coming, we ran into trouble and now a guy is dead.” Ursa replied.

Bo-Katan positioned herself on the right side of the mine entrance while Fives and Ursa arrived on the left side, awaiting Bo-Katan’s signal. She raises her hand, the signal Fives and Ursa are waiting for as all three go in and stealthily eliminate the men at the door by snapping their necks. “You Mandalorians really like finishing off anyone who stands in your way, don’t you?” Fives asked as they walk into the mine.

“Shh” Bo-Katan said as she heard other footsteps.

More guards. The three stood back to back to one another in the circle as they took on the guards one by one. Bo-Katan and Ursa had an easier time with their weapons while Fives only had his knowledge of hand-to-hand combat against a guy with weapons although he did manage to break a few necks, in true Mandalorian fashion of finishing off enemies.

“Now you’re getting the hang of it!” Ursa teased to which Fives let out a brief chuckle. He picked up one of the fallen guards’ blaster and began using that to help him until all the guards were fought off. The trio worked their way further into the mine where some _beskar_ was already mined. Ursa and Bo-Katan piled it into the backpack that Fives had been carrying. It was heavier than he thought it would be and it hurt his back a little. That didn’t stop Bo-Katan and Ursa from putting as much as possible in it.

“Do we need much more?” Fives asked.

“Do ya want a set of armour or not?” Bo-Katan snapped.

“I think we got enough though” Ursa said as the two women observed the almost full backpack.

“Not like we can fit anymore in there anyways, c’mon, let’s get out of here!” Bo-Katan said.

As they leave the mine, there are a group of guards waiting for them. Bo-Katan decides to use the flames from her armour, causing the others to lift out of the way as to avoid being burned to death. Ursa and Fives were right behind her, pointing blasters at the men around them, ready to shoot in an instant. The two girls use their jetpacks with Bo-Katan taking Fives’ hand and dragging him with them so they can make a fast getaway.

“What the fuck?” Fives asked as he is clinging to Bo-Katan’s hand for dear life, literally as he gets an aerial view of the Concordian landscape. He felt like he was back in the 501st on missions with General Skywalker again. He didn’t want to think of Skywalker though. Skywalker completely dismissed him like he was nothing, after all this time in the battlefield together and knowing one another fairly well outside of it. Skywalker was one of the only generals who was actually close with his troopers but when he needed the general most, he was brushed aside, despite the urgency of the info he was telling him. It truly hurt, especially when Rex said nothing on his behalf, Rex was his brother and his friend.

Fives’ thoughts were interrupted by Bo-Katan landing onto the ground in front of their ship. The trio got on and left Concordia with the _beskar_ in tow.

* * *

“How was that for a trip?” Bo-Katan asked.

“It was fun” Fives replied. That wasn’t a lie, it was a little scary but he liked it.

“We’re heading to Krownest next, my family has a stronghold there, they won’t turn us in” Ursa said as they set a course for Krownest.

“How do you know they won’t turn us in?” Fives asked, horrified at the prospect of being turned in.

“I’m the leader of this clan, I’ll let my husband know we’re coming” Ursa said.

The icy world of Krownest came into view as the ship exited hyperspace. He had seen a few icy worlds but most didn’t have humans living on them. The ship landed on the landing pad outside the stronghold and Ursa’s husband was out there with a few other people in yellow armour.

“Oh Alrich, it’s so good to see you again” Ursa said as she went over to hug her husband.

Bo-Katan, Fives and a few other members of the Nite Owls approached slowly as Ursa begins to explain her visit to her husband.

“How I explain this? We picked up a stowaway on our travels and he needs some Mandalorian armour so we managed to scrounge up enough _beskar_ to make a set.”

“Why are you explaining this to me? You’re the clan leader” Alrich said teasingly to his wife.

“Oh stop it you!” Ursa said as she escorted everyone into her stronghold.

Ursa is greeted by a young Sabine.

“When I told Sabine you were coming she got really excited” Alrich said as Ursa picked Sabine up. Sabine instantly gave her mother a hug.

Bo-Katan leaned over to Fives and whispered “Ursa’s family is the most important thing to her.”

Ursa put Sabine down after a few minutes and walked over to Bo-Katan and Fives to take the backpack full of metal. As Fives tried to follow Ursa she stopped him.

“We like to keep our armour-making a secret from outsiders.”

“Don’t take it personally, almost every clan is like this” Alrich said.

Sabine began to cry shortly after. 

“Please excuse me” Alrich said as he left to look after Sabine. 

There is an awkward silence between Fives and Bo-Katan before Fives breaks the silence.

“Can I assume family is important to your people?”

“Yes, it’s one of our core values. Mandalorians take family very seriously. That’s why many clans consist of family members.”

“So, if I got this correct, you joined a group dedicated to deposing your sister, yet family is extremely important?”

“It goes a lot deeper than that and I don’t really want to get into it right now but me and Satine had ideological differences” Bo-Katan said.

“What about your other family? Did any of them join Death Watch too?”

“No, most of them died before the end of the last civil war, the only other members left were myself, Satine and my nephew, Korkie but he was baby and orphaned. Satine raised him on Mandalore. I don’t know where he’s at now. The last time I saw him was-” Bo-Katan’s voice began to trail off but Fives got the message.

“It’s nice seeing Ursa and her family” Fives said, trying to ease the negativity in the room.

“Do clones have a sense of family?” Bo-Katan asked.

“For sure. We see each other as brothers. For me, the 501st were my family, but everyone had clones who felt more like family than others. Though our brothers are the only family we have. I don’t consider the long-necked doctors as parents” Fives said with a shudder thinking of the Kaminoans being his parents.

“In fact, my name comes from me trying to spite them. Clones don’t have names, they have numbers although clones often gave each other names amongst themselves which some generals like mine used instead of the numbers. Mine was CT-5555, hence the name Fives.”

“Fives is much easier to say than CT-5555 every time I need to get your attention” Bo-Katan says with a slight chuckle.

“I don’t think the long necks saw it that way” Fives said with a smirk.

“I don’t think I ever asked but why exactly were you on the run on Coruscant? What information did you have?”

“Something I wasn’t supposed to know and is apparently very sensitive and classified” Fives quickly summarized.

“Ok, but what was it?”

“It’s not exactly relevant for the Mandalorians but if you insist, it was about inhibitor chips placed in every clone from birth. One of my brother’s, Tup killed a Jedi and another brother, Kix, who is a medic seemed to think it was from an infection. We sent him to Kamino and I was kept there with him in case I developed symptoms. During this, something seemed off so I convinced a medical droid to help me get to the bottom of it where we found what looked to be a tumour in Tup’s head. I convinced the medical droid to take it out, Tup died but we figured out that it wasn’t a tumour, it was a chip. Afterwards, the droid and I were to have our memories wiped but we escaped to do more investigating since he seemed to be bigger than that if they would wipe my memory for it. After sneaking back into the facility, I asked to be checked for chips too and the droid found one in my head too which I got removed. I was then sent to Coruscant with Tup’s chip, the long neck doctor who refused to acknowledge my evidence and a Jedi master. The Chancellor then tried to kill me once he got me alone to tell my story” Fives said with air quotes above “tell my story”. “I fought back and was branded a fugitive. I tried to talk to General Skywalker and Rex but to no avail. If you didn’t find me, I’d probably be dead and that info would be no good to anyone then.”

“Wow” Bo-Katan simply said. She wasn’t sure what to say to Fives’ story. Ursa came back into the room they were in and said “we got your armour made.” Fives got up to check out his new armour.

“I promise you’ll love it; I can sleep in mine it’s so comfy” Ursa said.

Fives saw the armour, it looked pretty plain “you can decorate it however you want, that’s the beauty of it” Alrich said.

“Alrich’s an artist but he’s still _mando’ad_.” Ursa said.

Fives tried on the armour, Ursa was right, it was comfortable.

“It already looks better than the clone armour you showed up in” Bo-Katan said.

“I like it!” Fives enthusiastically said. Wearing the plain clone armour, he felt reluctant to start this new path but in the Mandalorian armour, he felt more sure of himself and that this was a blank slate that he could make what he wanted out of it, unlike in the plain clone armour he used to escape which wasn’t his to do as he pleased.

“You didn’t tell me he also needed new clothes! Look at him, wearing a poncho that's too small and an old body glove.” Alrich said.

“Fine, as the leader of Clan Wren, you can reoutfit him” Ursa said to her husband.

“You didn’t have to do this” Fives said as Alrich took him up to his studio.

“It’s the least I can do. I can’t help on the frontlines, but I can help Ursa behind the scenes and she told me you joined her and Bo-Katan’s cause.”

“Yea” Fives said. Not wanting to reveal he only joined to get off-world.

“I thought the nite owls were all female but I guess not anymore” Alrich joked.

“So that’s why I could only find ponchos built for women” Fives said.

“That’s Ursa for ya.”

“So, do any of these colours have particular meaning for armour?” Fives asked, changing the subject.

“Yes, red means honouring a parent, gold means vengeance, blue is reliability, green means duty, white means a new start, orange is a lust for life, grey means mourning a lost love and black means justice. Though you can paint your armour any colour you want, those meanings are only unofficial. Ursa’s favourite colour is gold so many people in her clan wear gold to honour her but she’s not looking for vengeance or anything. She's just trying to provide Sabine with a better life for when she gets older.”

Fives takes out the paintbrushes Alrich gave him and he begins to paint. The only limitation he is given is that Ursa and Bo-Katan insisted on a nite owls style helmet, with a v shape drawn above the visor. Though he noticed his visor is a full t shape as opposed to Bo-Katan’s which is a little more funkily shaped, probably to show that he’s a male as opposed to female like the rest of the nite owls.

Fives decided to paint his shoulder pads blue, his favourite colour and the colour worn by his brothers, he kept the chest plate mostly white, in line with the meaning for white that Alrich told him, a new start. The only decoration he put on the chest plate was the design of his old helmet, a stylized rishi eel painted in red and blue. He kept the rest of the armour white to show he is starting a new life for himself but kept some of the old designs like the rishi eel to show that it wasn’t by choice.

“Can I ask what the design on the chest plate means?” Alrich asked as he observed Fives’ painting.

“It’s a rishi eel, my brothers and I manned the rishi moon station a long time ago, it was attacked and 3 of them died, the other died later on.”

“Ah so clones do have family” Alrich said.

“Yea, despite having the same face it feels like I’m looking at someone totally different” Fives said as he did the finishing touches to the armour.

“There we go, done” Fives said as he attempted to put the armour back on. He struggled a little to bond the armour to the new body glove but he got it done.

“I’ll need to get used to this but it’s surprisingly comfy” Fives said.

“Let’s show it off to Bo-Katan and Ursa!” Alrich says.

Bo-Katan and Ursa were sitting at the long dining table as Alrich and Fives came into the room.

“See? I told you getting the _beskar_ was a good idea” Ursa said.

“Now we need to arm you with weapons, we got a bunch of weapons near our sparring area” Ursa said as she took the group there. Their arsenal was gigantic. So many weapons in one place and this wasn’t the GAR. Fives immediately gravitated towards the twin blasters. Bo-Katan outfitted the vambraces with the same weapons she and Ursa had including a flamethrower, wrist blades, wrist rockets, grappling lines. Fives was also equipped with a dart launcher and a jetpack. Fives immediately wanted to try out the jetpack as he started flying around. He started to laugh as he flew around the sparring room.

“I was gonna say we should practice with the other weapons but you really like the jetpack” Bo-Katan observed.

“This is awesome!” Fives said before falling to the ground. He didn’t get up immediately causing everyone to run over to check on him. He turned over to face them and laughed.

“Damn you!” Bo-Katan said teasingly.

Fives started to calm down as he said “that was fun.”

“I hope you find the other weapons just as fun” Bo-Katan replied.

This was the first time he was genuinely happy, without a worry in the world since leaving Coruscant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beskar: iron used for Mandalorian armour  
> Mando'ad: Mandalorian


	3. Tensions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group makes their way to Kessel for a credit grab while tensions run high on the ship

After hours of weapon practicing, it was time to leave Clan Wren before Maul caught on. Ursa asked Alrich to cooperate with Maul in her absence to keep her clan safe. Ursa said goodbye to Sabine again before giving her husband a farewell hug.

“I hope to see you again soon” Alrich said as Ursa prepared to get on the ship.

“I will as soon as we can liberate Mandalore” Ursa said as she got on to the ship where Bo-Katan and Fives were waiting for her.

“You ready?” Bo-Katan asks.

“Ready as I’ll ever be, will you two be good to control the ship, I’m gonna get a little rest” Ursa said.

“Yea we’ll be fine” Bo-Katan said.

“So where are we going?” Fives asked.

“I’m not sure, we need a way to get credits though, perhaps a spice shipment or two.”

“So, we’re gonna be spice runners?” Fives questioned.

“It’s not being a spice runner if you only do it once or twice” Bo-Katan countered.

Another member joins them in the cockpit.

“He’s not wrong though” she said.

“See? Someone else agrees with me” Fives said.

“Either way, it’s not a big deal, we’ll get some credits so we can sustain this ship” Bo-Katan said.

“Whatever” the other girl said, despite having her helmet on, it was obvious that she rolled her eyes before leaving the cockpit.

“Who was that?” Fives whispered.

“Daria Saxon, she prefers to keep her helmet on because she’s from Clan Saxon. Despite them disowning her for siding with me she prefers to keep the anonymity of her helmet so no one thinks she’s a traitor like they do the rest of Clan Saxon. She’s Gar Saxon’s cousin, he’s the main guy helping Maul retain power on Mandalore.”

“I can understand that, clones often find safety in their helmets too” Fives says. He hates that he keeps reminiscing on clone trooper life like this but it’s one of the only ways he’s been able to relate to the Mandalorian women of this ship.

* * *

Bo-Katan put the ship in hyperdrive as she went to the bunk in the back of the ship to talk to Daria, who had her helmet off for once. Bo-Katan closed the door behind her. Daria had sharp features and a defined jawline. She had grey eyes and light blonde hair that she kept pinned as two braids, one on each side of her head, that way the hair was short enough and out of the way enough to not cause problems in combat.

“I understand if you want to keep your helmet on but maybe it would help your case to set the record straight” Bo-Katan said.

“That won’t matter, people will still see me as a Saxon and a traitor to this cause.”

“But you being with us already shows you’re with us.”

Ursa walked in during this “Daria’s got a point though, the Saxon brothers have already painted the clan in a bad light.”

“Ursa do you mind?” Bo-Katan asked, annoyed.

“I came in here to get something” Ursa said as she ruffled through her compartment in search for her comb. Once she finds it, she leaves Bo-Katan and Daria to their conversation.

“Ursa’s right” Daria said as she picked her helmet back up.

“Like I’ve said before and what everyone on this ship believes, the enemy of our enemy is our friend, we hate Maul and the Saxon’s, you hate Maul and the Saxon’s. Maul and the Saxon’s hate you. My point is that we’re in this for the long haul and you’re not expected to keep your helmet on all the time and to feel comfortable in your own skin.”

Daria sighed before saying “maybe I want to keep my helmet on, it’s the only place where people don’t treat me differently because of my clan.”

“I know, but you’re still welcome here nonetheless” Bo-Katan said.

Fives walked into the room, not expecting for there to be people there. The two women immediately glance his way.

“Oh, did I interrupt something?” Fives asks.

“Nah, I was just leaving” Daria embarrassedly said as she put her helmet on and left the room.

“I was gonna ask if you and maybe a few others wanted to have a round or two of Sabacc while we get to wherever we’re going. I’m bored” Fives said with a smile.

“Jeez, I’m not here to entertain you” Bo-Katan replied.

“It could be a way for the group to bond a little. I think it could benefit us.”

Bo-Katan thinks about this for a moment but concedes.

“Sure, let me round up a few people” Bo-Katan said as Fives got the card deck he found ready.

Bo-Katan came back with Daria and Ursa. “I’m sure 4 players is enough” Bo-Katan said.

“More than enough.”

Ursa explains their house rules as she deals the hand.

“We clones have pretty similar rules so this should be easy.”

“Oh, you’ve clearly haven’t played Sabacc with us” Ursa said.

“You think that’ll scare me?” Fives replied.

“Enough with the trash talk, let’s play” Bo-Katan said.

“Most of these rules are Clan Wren rules” Ursa says.

“and they’re fucking stupid” Bo-Katan replies.

“At least they’re not clan Kryze rules” Ursa replies.

“You take that back!” Bo-Katan yelled.

“Can we just play the game already!” Daria said, fed up with the trash talking.

“I need to teach Sabine to play this next time I’m home” Ursa said as Bo-Katan deals the first hand.

“Isn’t she like, 1?” Daria asked.

“Never too early to learn” Fives said.

“Right!”

The round went by quickly with Fives winning.

“I can’t believe I lost this badly to a clone” Ursa groaned.

“Uh, the fuck did you just say?” Fives replied.

“For someone apparently so good at Sabacc you lost terribly,” Daria said to Ursa. Despite her helmet being on, Ursa could tell she had a smug expression on her face.

“Take off your helmet and say it to my face!” Ursa replied.

“Stop being a sore loser, no one needs to take off their helmet for anyone” Bo-Katan said, breaking up the fight to go on to the next round.

“You’re cheating!” Ursa yelled accusingly to Daria as she lost yet another round badly.

“No, I’m not!” Daria yelled back.

“How do I know you’re not lying!”

“Why would I lie?!”

“Cuz you’re a Saxon.”

“Ok, that’s it!” Daria said as she took off her helmet and slammed it onto the ground. She approached Ursa as Ursa stood up to me eye level with her before punching Ursa in the jaw. Ursa retaliated as the two girls got into a brawl. Fives looks over awkwardly at Bo-Katan, knowing he suggested playing sabacc. She whispered, “you tried, they can get a little aggressive over sabacc.”

“Are you going to stop them or anything?”

“No, let em' battle it out a little. Get it out of their systems” Bo-Katan said as she sat back and watched the brawl.

“At least my family supports Mandalore and are united in the same cause, unlike your cousins who’d rather support an outsider.”

“Just because I’m from Clan Saxon does not mean I support my cousin’s actions. I wouldn’t be here if I did. Sorry I don’t have a perfect family like you!” 

Both parties began to take out weapons, that’s where Bo-Katan and Fives stepped in.

“I love a good duel as much as the next person but if my ship gets destroyed with your blasters you two will be chucked out of it.”

“Well maybe if miss perfect didn’t bring my family into this, we wouldn’t have an issue!” Daria shouted.

Bo-Katan held Daria back “both of you need to go to opposite ends of the ship, Ursa, cockpit with me, Daria, bunk room, Fives, make sure Daria doesn’t go anywhere. You two will stay where I’ve told you to until we get to Kessel and we get to Kessel, you two better not fight anymore. Got it?”

Even Fives was intimidated by Bo-Katan’s tone and he wasn’t even the one it was directed to.

Fives sat on a top bunk with his legs draped over the edge while Daria paced back and forth, looking like she was about to burst with anger.

“If you wanna rant, just think of me as an unbiased observer because I have no idea what this clan shit is about.”

Daria sat down on the bottom bunk as she began to unload everything. Talking to a so-called unbiased observer was better than talking to any of the nite owls.

“My cousin Gar Saxon and myself were involved with Death Watch, as were Bo-Katan and Ursa. Death Watch splintered into two after Pre Vizsla was killed by Maul after a duel for the throne, as is customary in Mandalorian culture. One sided with Maul, the other with Bo-Katan. Gar and I were on different sides. Before I left, Gar told me that if I stepped foot on Mandalore again, he was going to kill me and since he’s the leader of Clan Saxon he turned the clan against me, my own family against me. And with Ursa using my clan against me and my splintered family relationships while boasting her own stable ones got to me. Mandalorians value family over everything and it’s embarrassing not only being associated with the Saxon name but how damaged my relationships with them are now. Especially because everyone associates clan Saxon with siding with outsiders, something I don’t support especially now that Gar is Maul’s right-hand man. The clan now simply pretends I don’t exist, that I never existed. I’m glad my mother isn’t alive to see them do this, she would’ve never allowed it.” Daria said as her voice began to trail off when mentioning her mother.

“It’s okay, you don’t need to say any more if you don’t want to” Fives replied as he moved to comfort her. She flinched away as she went to put her helmet on.

“Shit like what went down with Ursa is why I prefer to keep my helmet on because people treat me differently once they know I’m a Saxon, because of my cousin.”

“I think I can kinda relate to how you’re feeling. If I ever try to go back to my brothers, I’m done for” Fives said quietly.

“Really?”

“Yea, I felt betrayed by one of them too. I was desperate to tell him and our general a very sensitive piece of information and neither of them believed me, next thing I knew, a bunch of troops came in when they said they didn’t bring troops, they must have had them on standby or something. The timing was perfect, too perfect. After that, I ended up on the run as if I wasn’t an already wanted man. The general was so far up the Chancellor’s ass that he probably got those troops from him directly for backup because they weren’t from the 501st.”

“The Chancellor?” Daria asked, curious.

Before Fives could answer, Bo-Katan walked in. “We’re almost to Kessel, can you and Ursa get along now?”

“I guess as long as she doesn’t bring up the Saxon’s anymore.”

“Fine. C’mon” Bo-Katan said as she left the room.

“We’ll continue this another time” Daria said as she left the bunk room to put on her poncho to disguise her Mandalorian armour. She looked uncomfortable at the prospect of keeping her helmet off but it maintains the disguise.

* * *

The tension was strong between Ursa and Daria as they landed on Kessel. They were greeted by the King’s Majordomo.

“Which one of you is Bo-Katan Kryze?”

“That would be me” Bo-Katan said.

"Welcome to Kessel. I’m Kinash Lock and I’ll be the one you’ll be dealing with today on behalf of King Yaruba” he said.

Bo-Katan did all the talking as she and the majordomo negotiated a deal.

“If you do good on the first one, we may let you do a second shipment although you’ve already mentioned that you don’t want to do this full time?”

“No sir, we really need the money” Bo-Katan said.

“Understandable. After the first shipment arrives on Oba Diah, come back to Kessel for the rest of the payment” The majordomo says after giving her half the negotiated payment.

“Thank you” Bo-Katan said.

“Let’s get this spice onto your ship.”

“I still don’t agree with us being spice runners” Ursa whispered to Fives and Daria as they left the room, Fives noticed Daria snagging a small bag of ground caf beans but thought nothing of it.

“Though you can’t deny that we need credits. Besides, we’re all considered criminals already” Fives replied as they got back onto the ship, preparing to leave Kessel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original character, Daria Saxon is essentially supposed to be the third nite owl with Bo-Katan and Ursa on Oba Diah in season 7 episode 8


	4. Pit-Stop to Oba Diah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bo-Katan brings the spice shipment to Oba Diah but while getting fuel and food, Bo-Katan notices a certain Togruta former Jedi padawan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The events of this chapter are occuring at the same time as Season 7 episode 8. I know it seems fast considering this is chapter 4 and chapter 1 began around the end of season 6 episode 4 but lets just say flying through space takes a while and getting a spice deal on Kessel took some time.

Fives was starting to get more comfortable around the Mandalorian women and more comfortable with his new armour but that didn't mean they didn't get under his skin sometimes. As the ship left Kessel and Bo-Katan put the ship into hyperdrive, she came back to join the others. The tension was still high between Daria and Ursa and even Ursa and Bo-Katan. Ursa was not comfortable with this mission.

“Seriously, the Pykes? Weren’t they one of the groups backing Maul?” Ursa complained.

“Like I said, it’s a one-time thing” Bo-Katan replied.

“What if it becomes a two-time thing?” Ursa asked.

“Right! Besides, aren’t we also looking for Ahsoka Tano?” Daria asked.

“Ok it won’t. After this mission, we go to Coruscant for a while and do some looking. She is our ticket to get the Republic to help us invade” Bo-Katan said, conceding to the group.

“I still can’t believe you have no way to contact the Republic, y’know being a-“ Daria began to say before being interrupted by Fives.

“A clone trooper” Fives said, finishing the sentence, he didn't like when any of them asked why he had no way to contact the Republic for them. Usually, he could handle it but he was just in no mood for it at the moment, dealing with the tension between Daria and Ursa had put him in a bad mood.

“I didn’t mean it in a demeaning way.”

“I know, I just don’t want to be constantly reminded of it” Fives said before walking away from the group.

He went to the bunk room, sat on the top bunk and took off his helmet for a while. He could see his face in the reflection of the T-visor. He noticed the hair that was starting to grow back. About time, he thought. He began to think of his brothers, the 501st. Were they okay?

His thoughts were interrupted when Daria walked in.

“I feel kinda bad about what happened earlier and wanted to say sorry.”

“It’s fine, clones get treated like this normally anyway. I just don't like it being constantly brought up” Fives said without looking up.

Daria propped herself up onto the bunk Fives was sitting on.

“That doesn’t make it okay and besides, you’re not some slave we can tear down” Daria replied as she took off her helmet. After her last conversation with him before arriving to Kessel, after her and Ursa’s brawl, she felt much more comfortable removing her helmet around the former clone trooper.

“I was never a slave!” Fives replied.

“No, I’m not saying that, I’m saying you don’t need to take shit like what I said.”

“Can we just drop it?” Fives said.

“Fine” Daria said. There was an awkward silence between them until she broke it, hoping to put what happened behind them. She noticed the rishi eel on his chest plate a while ago but never bothered to ask.

“What is that on your chest plate, I’ve been meaning to ask.”

“It’s a rishi eel. Right after I was done being a cadet, I was stationed to the rishi moon near Kamino with the rest of my batch, but we all died except myself and Echo. Echo ended up dying a little later. This eel helps me keep their memory alive in a sense when their deaths would simply be seen as just another casualty in a sea of clone casualties.”

“It’s a nice way to remember them.”

“I guess it helps. We went through so much together both as cadets and troopers.”

“Is it just me or are the _Kaminiie_ creepy?”

“Kaminiie?” Fives asked.

“It’s Mando’a for the people on Kamino, they got the long necks and stuff”

“The Kaminoans?"

"Yes that's the word!" Daria said as is she just had a major breakthrough.

They’re creepier than they look” Fives said.

Bo-Katan walked in during their conversation.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt anything” Bo-Katan said as she saw Daria and Fives talking.

“Nah, it’s fine” Daria said.

“I was gonna ask if Fives wanted to practice sparring, it’s been a while since the last time” Bo-Katan asked.

“Sure!” Fives said.

“I wanna come watch this” Daria said with a chuckle.

“What? You don’t trust my fighting abilities?” Fives asked teasingly.

“Fighting abilities? Pfft. I’ll believe it when I see it” Daria teased back as the three of them went to the main area of the ship. Daria put on her helmet before she went to get a cup of caf, courtesy of the caf she had stolen from Kessel.

As Bo-Katan and Fives got ready to practice sparring Daria sat at the nearby table, drinking her caf through a straw that she has placed underneath her helmet.

“Don’t tell me you drink caf with a straw?” Fives said, as if she just killed a puppy.

“What? It’s not that bad. Besides, I haven’t had my fix since leaving Mandalore and I have a slight caf problem so let me have my moment.”

That actually explained a lot. Maybe that was why she was cranky. He could relate though, he likes his caf as well.

“Tip one, never take your eye off the enemy” Bo-Katan said as she began to strike. Fives managed to counter it just in time.

“You just got lucky” Bo-Katan said as the two practiced sparring.

“Seems like he’s a natural” Ursa said as she poked her head out of the cockpit.

“We’re almost to Oba Diah by the way” Ursa said as she turned to look at Bo-Katan.

“Well this sparring session was fun” Bo-Katan said as she joined Ursa in the cockpit. Fives hears Daria slurping the last of the caf through her straw as the room becomes silent.

They land on Oba Diah and the four of them get off the ship. Unlike the people on Kessel, the Pykes don’t seem to care if they have their helmets on so the only one with their helmet off at the moment is Bo-Katan though each person had their hooded robes on.

The Pyke’s leader recently died so there is a new one, Marg Krim.

“We have brought your spice shipment as asked” Bo-Katan said, not making direct eye contact.

“You look familiar” Krim said, seeming like he might have seen her in the background, of his holograms with Maul before he became leader. He was high enough in the ranks to be present at some briefings.

“Don’t worry about it” Bo-Katan replied. She had no desire to talk to him.

“I won’t, thanks for the spice. You are free to leave.”

“That was quick” Ursa said.

“They probably got another shipment coming in” Fives said.

Daria stifled a chuckle before saying “by the looks of these guys, definitely.”

When they got back to their ship, they noticed they didn’t have enough fuel to get back to Kessel.

“Who wants to scope out a fuel source?” Bo-Katan asked.

“I’ll go” Ursa said as she went into the nearby village with some credits.

Ursa had walked around for a few minutes, looking for a way to barter for fuel and maybe some food in the process, or some caf for Daria’s caf problem when she noticed something. It looked like a group of girls running. Ursa walked around some more to look around. As she did, shots began to get fired and one of the girls pushed a passerby out of the way. Ursa swerved out of the path of the three girls. Ursa had an idea of who Ahsoka Tano was and one of the girls looked like her. She whispered into her comm:

“I think I spotted Ahsoka Tano.”

Up higher on the landing pad Bo-Katan replied “Wait what?”

Fives flinched at knowing that somehow Commander Tano ended up on Oba Diah. Even though she was no longer a commander since leaving the order, she will always be Commander Tano to the 501st.

_“Yea, Togruta female, looks like she’s a teenager, has the same markings as the young Togruta Jedi we ran into on Carlacc.”_

“That must be her then, Togruta have unique markings as far as I know” Bo-Katan said.

_“Ok so want me to keep a watch on them and see where they go?”_

“Have you spotted a fuel source?”

“ _I think so.”_

“Ok, want me to send someone down?”

_“No, but I think if we scatter around we have a better chance of keeping track of her.”_

“Good idea” Bo-Katan said before signing off.

“Alright, you heard her, scatter yourselves around, get as much info as possible” Bo-Katan said to Fives and Daria who obliged.

Fives walked to a different side of the village as he saw a speeder go really fast with two people trying to jump on it, Ahsoka and some brown haired girl with half her head shaved.

“By the looks of things she’s trying to escape from someone” Fives said into the comm link. “Maybe the Pykes, spice shipment gone wrong maybe?”

_“This was what I was talking about Bo-Katan”_ Ursa replied.

_“Well unlike them we can defend ourselves!”_ Bo-Katan retaliated.

_“I got a good view from where I’m at, maybe I can see where they’re going”_ Daria said.

_“I got a good view too, of our ship and of the area”_ Bo-Katan said before Fives decided to keep investigating.

_“Ouch that had to hurt, I wouldn’t want to be her right now”_ Daria said. 

“So, you’re seeing what I’m seeing?” Fives asked. “I see that speeder shot down throwing those 2 off into the distance.”

_“Yep and more guards coming for them. I’d move out of the way if I were you. Make sure no one notices you”_ Daria replied. 

“Got it” Fives says.

_“Come back up towards me”_ Bo-Katan said.

The four of them gather near their ship as Bo-Katan uses the range finder on her helmet to look more closely at the surroundings.

“That’s definitely Ahsoka” Fives says.

“For sure, Ursa’s right, definitely the Jedi we met on Carlac. Although I’m still not sure what she’s doing here.” Bo-Katan said.

“Those other girls with her seem sketchy so I’m thinking spice shipment gone wrong” Fives says. Daria remains silent as she looks upon the surroundings.

“Though her presence could reveal our identities” Ursa said.

“True” Bo-Katan said, pondering on how to intercept her. “We do have a common enemy though, don’t forget the reason we’re on the run. She will be a good asset to us.”

“She managed to get a vehicle” Daria said pointing to the new development.

“That’s Ahsoka for you. She can find a way out of just about any jam” Fives says.

Ahsoka began to use the flying vehicle to shoot at the Pykes, hoping to free Trace and Rafa.

“She ain’t gonna get very far though, look” Daria said, pointing to the Pyke’s gathering outside the gate.

“I told you we had a good view from here” Bo-Katan said.

“So why did you ask us to scatter?” Fives asked.

“I needed a ground point of view other than Ursa’s.”

“So mine wasn’t good enough?!” Ursa replied.

“It’s not that, it’s just better to have multiple perspectives” Bo-Katan said as they continued to watch the developments, hoping to intercept Ahsoka at some point although that wasn’t going to happen any time soon with her and her friends getting arrested.

“So, what now?” Fives asks.

“We put this fuel in our ship and eat the food Ursa brought us” Bo-Katan said, pointing to the fuel can next to Ursa.

“We’re gonna need to leave this landing platform soon” Ursa said.

“We can camp out near the village, watch for anymore Ahsoka Tano activity” Bo-Katan said as Daria began to put the fuel into the ship.

Once the ship was near the village Fives broke the silence between himself and Bo-Katan inside.

“So, if we’re gonna sit here and scope out Ahsoka, what about going back to Kessel for the rest of our payment?” Fives asked.

“If we can intercept Ahsoka, no payment will be needed. Besides, we already got half of it which is quite a bit of credits” Bo-Katan said.

Fives appeared to slink back in his chair as he picked at the food in front of him. Not because he didn’t like it, he’s a clone, he’s used to eating whatever he could get, the thought of what’s about to happen made him nervous. What if Ahsoka says no, or if she says yes, how could he face Rex or Anakin after what he did, what will happen to him after Bo-Katan gets Mandalore back?

Daria distracted him asking “do you wanna practice sparring outside?”

It started to become almost soothing to spar with someone. That was probably the goal. Sparring was one of the only things to do on the ship and even that was tightly restricted so Bo-Katan's ship didn't get damaged. They could not afford another one. 

Ursa walked outside but away from Fives and Daria’s sparring session and decided to use her range finder to spy on a ship leaving but only 2 people getting on, neither of them togruta.

“You seem to be getting the hang of it” Daria said, starting to get out of breath.

“What can I say, I’ve been fighting my whole life” Fives said, getting a little cocky. Daria definitely noticed.

“Don’t get too cocky now” She said as she jabbed him in the ribs, bringing him down on his knees.

“I win” Daria said.

“Is it just me or is it kinda soothing to spar, even earlier with Bo-Katan, it helped me feel almost peaceful which I know sounds kinda weird” Fives said as he stood back up. 

“Nah it’s not weird, that or drinking caf are my coping mechanisms” Daria said with a chuckle as Bo-Katan and Ursa were stood up, arms crossed as if they were waiting for them outside the ship.

“I didn’t scan the Jedi leaving with the others” Ursa said.

Scout around, keep watch. I need to know the second she leaves this facility” Bo-Katan said to the circle.

“What are you up to?” Bo-Katan mutters to herself, still unsure as to why Ahsoka would be on a planet like this. The best explanation which was speculation at best was Fives’, a spice run gone wrong. Though why would Ahsoka be running spice?

Ursa, Daria and Fives all scatter, making sure to keep a low profile, ponchos on, hoods up, don’t speak to anyone, and be quiet. Bo-Katan chose to stay with the ship just outside the village.

“Uh, it looks like the facility is about to blow” Fives says into his comm link, “It just has that look to it, y’know. I’ve seen enough buildings blow up to know.”

_“I kinda see what you’re talking about”_ Ursa replied.

_“Well, what are you waiting for?! Get out of the area dumbasses!”_ Bo-Katan yelled.

“Right, right” Fives replied, he kept forgetting he wasn’t in combat as he ran to the outskirts of the village, Ursa and Daria joined just as the facility blew up.

Bo-Katan uses the range finder to get a closer look despite everyone around them running. Bo-Katan could tell just as well as Fives, Ursa, and Daria that they weren’t in any danger.

“Ah looks like their ship is leaving, everyone get on, we’re following them to the next place they go” Bo-Katan said.

Bo-Katan flew the ship, staying as far from the ships that were shooting at Ahsoka’s ship as possible. After Ahsoka shot the last one down, Bo-Katan flew a little closer and prepared to follow them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Mando'a translations  
> Kaminiie: Kaminoans


	5. Preparing for a Siege

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka joins Bo-Katan and her forces while Anakin senses something fishy about one of Bo-Katan's soldiers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm posting this a lot later than usual and I'm sorry for that 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it! :)

“Huh Coruscant?” Bo-Katan said, “good to be back am I right?”

“Totally” Fives replied, feigning enthusiasm. In reality, there was a lot of fear involved with coming back to Coruscant. He was hoping the Coruscant Guard had forgotten about him, but his hair had grown back, turning him into what he looked like before, making him easier to spot. Knowing Fox, he wouldn’t have forgotten about the failed chase of the clone who knew about Palpatine’s secret weapon. Keeping his Mandalorian armour on was imperative to ensure he wouldn’t be caught again.

Bo-Katan snuck around the Coruscant under levels in her ship, parking it not too far from Trace and Rafa’s mechanic place. Fives took a deep breath as Bo-Katan opened the doors of the ship. Daria put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. An unexpected gesture in his eyes but it showed him that he’s not alone.

“Isn’t this sweet?” Bo-Katan said as she walked towards Ahsoka, with 3 other people in tow, Ursa, Daria and Fives. She took her hood down as she said “making friends?”

“Trace, Rafa, back away” Ahsoka said, standing firmly in front of them.

“So you remember me?” Bo-Katan said as she removed her helmet. “Don’t worry, Death Watch is gone and now you and I have a common enemy” Bo-Katan said as she took a holoprojector out of her pocket and presented an image of Maul.

“Maul” Ahsoka said, quickly identifying the person in the image.

“I need your help, we need your help” Bo-Katan said gesturing to the others behind her.

“Once we are underway, I will explain everything.”

Ahsoka looked puzzled but then Fives stepped forward and begins to take off his helmet and says “Perhaps this will help you decide.”

Ahsoka was shocked to see a former clone trooper, let alone a former member of the 501st, the unit she used to be the commander of.

“Fives?” She asked.

“It’s a long story how I ended up here but you don’t need to worry” Fives said before quickly putting his helmet back on to avoid the Coruscant Guard recognizing him.

“You have 5 minutes to decide” Bo-Katan said before putting her helmet on and getting on the ship.

“Sounds like she needs your help, just like we did” Trace said.

“You might want to reunite with your old pal too” Rafa said, referring to Fives.

“But if I go down this path, I’m afraid of where it might lead.”

“It can’t be that bad if your old pal did it” Rafa said.

“I think she means back to the Jedi” Trace said.

“Yes” Ahsoka replied.

“Go, it’s what you’re meant to do, you are meant to help people, like you helped us. She needs your help more than we do now” Rafa said.

“Rafa’s right” Trace said.

“Alright but let me keep my bike here just in case” Ahsoka said before heading to Bo-Katan’s ship.

* * *

“Good choice” Bo-Katan said as Ahsoka walked towards her. Ahsoka got on to the ship and sat down in one of the chairs in the cockpit. Fives soon joined her.

“Commander, I can explain.”

“You don’t have to call me commander anymore, I left the order. But why are you here?” After asking that question Ahsoka could sense shame but also a fierce drive within him as soon as she finished asking the question.

“I know you’re gonna think I’m crazy, but I had no other choice.”

“I’m listening” Ahsoka said.

“Shortly after you left the order, Tup killed a Jedi” Fives started. Ahsoka gasped, she had met Tup and he wouldn’t hurt a Republic fly.

“Kix deduced that it could’ve been some sort of virus and Tup was sent to Kamino. I accompanied him. In the process, I learned a terrible truth. Every single clone has a chip implanted in them that will make them do whatever someone wants, even kill the Jedi. Tup’s malfunctioned for some reason and it caused him to kill General Tiplar. I was hunted down for knowing this information. The Kaminoans drugged me right before I met with the Chancellor but he too was in on it and framed me for trying to assassinate him when it was him who tried to kill me! I then tried to tell Rex and General Skywalker but not only did they not believe me but they also had troops ready, not 501st troops but the Chancellor’s troops. The timing was too perfect, I was pleading with them and suddenly they barge in!”

“Rex wouldn’t do that to you! I bet Rex feels betrayed by you ditching the 501st! Neither would Anakin!” Ahsoka said, defending her former master and his captain.

“They did! I never felt so betrayed in my life. I had no other choice! If I didn’t, I’d be dead. I managed to escape and landed in Bo-Katan’s hide out, they offered to get me off world if I joined their cause.”

Ahsoka whispered “these people are terrorists.”

“They’re not as bad as you think” Fives whispered back before leaving the cockpit. Ahsoka wasn’t sure what to make of what Fives told her. Bo-Katan approached the former Jedi next, having deduced some of Maul’s previous locations from the transmissions codes Ahsoka had obtained from the Pykes, she was ready to make her call to the republic as they entered hyperspace on their way to the outer rim.

“I can use the private frequency “Fulcrum” that way it can get directly to the Republic” Ahsoka said as Ursa got them out of hyperspace.

“Hello, this is Ahsoka Tano, I need to speak with General Skywalker and General Kenobi as soon as possible, please. It’s very urgent” Ahsoka said with a helmeted Bo-Katan standing next to her. Fives heard Ahsoka request Skywalker and immediately tensed up. He wasn’t exactly eager to see him again. Fives and the others left Bo-Katan and Ahsoka to the hologram when they were told they would need to wait.

No one said anything to one another as they all sat in the bunkroom. Fives appeared to be out of it. He had been staring at the same spot for around 5 minutes. Daria looked concerned but was unsure what to say. She wasn’t sure what to say and while she was usually unapologetic, she felt bad for not being able to comfort one of her only friends.

* * *

Ahsoka waited with her arms folded until Anakin and Obi-Wan got back onto the ship before saying anything else.

“Hello master, it’s been a while.”

_“Ah-Ahsoka. Wha. I don’t believe it! How are you? Where are you? Ar-Are you okay?”_ Anakin said, immediately becoming concerned for his former padawan.

“I’m alright, thank you. I wish we had more time to talk but I have urgent information for both of you.

_“What is it, Ahsoka?”_ Obi-Wan asked. He vaguely recognized the girl next to Ahsoka, she was Satine’s sister, Bo-Katan who helped him get off Mandalore in the immediate aftermath of Satine’s death.

“Lady Bo-Katan and I have located the renegade Sith lord, Maul and if we move swiftly, we believe we can capture him.”

_“What do you need from us?”_ Anakin asked.

“Help” Ahsoka replied.

_“Alright, we’ll help you, meet with us at this rendezvous point”_ Anakin said as he pulled up a holo image of a map. Ahsoka knew where to go.

After turning off the holo, Bo-Katan removed her helmet and walked over to a clearly apprehensive Fives while Ahsoka walked into the cockpit, Ursa and Daria followed Ahsoka.

“It doesn’t take a Jedi to see you’re tense” Bo-Katan said.

Fives sighed before saying “I’m a little apprehensive about seeing General Skywalker again and Rex. I feel so betrayed by them, that doesn’t just heal overnight. Me and Rex were like this” Fives said as he put two fingers together in an attempt to show how close he and Rex were.

“I kinda relate. I felt betrayed by Satine after she hired Jedi for protection when Mandalorians weren’t historically friendly with Jedi and I felt even more betrayed when she did away with our culture as if it was nothing. I felt she not only betrayed me but also our family. That’s why I joined death watch.”

“That’s kinda how I feel about Rex. I feel he betrayed me by having troops on standby. He knew I had sensitive information that I wanted to discuss alone with him and Skywalker.

“Me and Satine never really had a chance to make up other than me breaking her out of prison but you and Rex do have this chance, maybe it was all a misunderstanding and he didn’t send those troops.”

“I’d like to believe that.” Fives said with his head down. 

"C'mon, don't think like that. We'll probably get to the rendezvous point soon."

“We’re approaching the Republic ship” Daria said, poking her head out of the cockpit for a moment.

“You sure you can do this?” Bo-Katan asked.

“I’m gonna have to” Fives said before they prepared to disembark the ship.

Ursa landed the ship as Ahsoka got off. R2 greeted her with a series of happy beeps. Fives would never forget Anakin’s R2 unit. Everyone else began to file in behind her. Bo-Katan was the only one who took off her helmet. Anakin looked puzzled, almost as if he has sensed someone but disregarded it as Ahsoka stood in front of him.

“Ahsoka, I’m so glad-”

Ahsoka put her hand up to interrupt him and said “we’ll have to catch up another time. Things are moving quickly.”

Bo-Katan walked forward, next to Ahsoka and said “every minute we waste here gives Maul another opportunity to slip away.”

Fives resisted the urge to speak, he knew if he did, Anakin would instantly recognize him, if he hadn’t already sensed him.

“We understand, follow me” Obi-Wan said, leading the group to a control room.

“Bo-Katan and her group have been tracking Maul’s movements for several months. I was able to obtain some transmission codes from the Pykes on Oba Diah which helped her pinpoint some of Maul’s previous locations.

“What were you doing on Oba Diah?” Anakin asked, like an overprotective brother.

“That’s a long story and it’s not really relevant right now” Ahsoka replied as if she had been scolded.

“What is relevant, is that Maul is on Mandalore, in the city of Sundari” Bo-Katan said, bringing up a holo map of Sundari.

“You’re certain of this?” Obi-Wan asked.

“He arrived, most likely, 2 days ago.”

“So why not take him yourself? Or to be more specific, what do you want from the Republic?” Obi-Wan asked.

Ahsoka looked to Bo-Katan who seemed uncertain or embarrassed of what she was going to say but Ahsoka gave her a reassuring nod.

“I don’t have the numbers for a siege” Bo-Katan said, looking down in shame, her passionate fire for her people fueled her to look the two Jedi straight in the eye and say “Without a complete lockdown of the city, Maul will surely escape again. That’s why I’m proposing the idea of a joint operation. If we are successful, you have Maul, I have Mandalore” Bo-Katan said.

“If Republic forces aid in your assault, it will break treaties that are 100 years old. We will effectively be drawn into yet another war” Obi-Wan said nonchalantly. 

“What’s one more?” Bo-Katan snappily replies.

“Well we aren’t finished with our first one yet” Anakin replied.

“I will advise the Jedi council on this development” Obi-Wan said. As he turned to leave, Bo-Katan looked to the side before looking back up and snapping “There’s no time! Maul’s influence on Mandalore is destroying my people! He murdered their ruler! My sister! I thought she meant something to you.”

Bo-Katan’s words cut deep and she knew it. The colour faded from Obi-Wan’s face as he said “She did and still does. But I cannot allow my feelings to cloud my judgment. The council will decide what our next course of action shall be.” Obi-Wan quickly left the room.

Fives was surprised by this revelation and looked to Ahsoka who also seemed surprised. He left the room with a distraught Bo-Katan and the rest of the Mandalorian soldiers.

“I’ll be back. Stay here” Anakin said as he followed the Mandalorian soldiers.

“Anakin, wait!” Ahsoka said, she didn’t want to upset Bo-Katan further and she didn’t seem to want to talk to anyone other than her fellow Mandalorians plus Fives. However, Anakin didn’t listen as usual. Ahsoka decided to follow him but stay at a safe enough distance so he doesn’t notice her.

“I can’t believe all things considered that he would just toss his friendship with my sister aside!” Bo-Katan said.

“I’m not defending him by no means but Jedi aren’t supposed to have attachments, maybe he’s trying to save face” Fives said.

“Maybe but that’s a load of bullshit, that whole no attachments shit” Daria replied.

Fives was carrying the rear of the group when Anakin stopped him.

“Hey!” He said defensively as Anakin pulled him aside and removed his helmet.

“What the fuck!” Fives said as he grabbed the helmet, but it was too late.

“I knew I sensed something familiar about you! You and Rex need to have a long talk, he has worried himself sick about you. And I should report you to the admiral, but I will let it slide until after your mission.” Anakin said with a malicious tone.

Daria turned around the second she didn’t she hear Fives behind her and ran back to him.

“Hey! You can’t take someone’s helmet off without their permission!” Daria said, defending Fives.

“He’s also a deserter!” Anakin retaliated.

“He’s one of us because you gave him no other choice!”

The others came back to help and Ahsoka ran forward.

“Good snips, you’re here. I have a surprise for you, and Fives, you better speak to Rex and soon” Anakin said as glared at Fives before leaving with Ahsoka. 

“Everything okay?” Daria asked.

Fives sighed as he put his helmet back on. “Yea, I knew he would figure me out one way or another.” 

“But you don’t take orders from him anymore” Ursa said.

“I know but I think you should at least try to talk to Rex.” Daria said.

“I agree, I think it might do you good” Bo-Katan said.

“You don’t have to call me commander anymore” Ahsoka said.

“Ok, commander” Rex said.

“I have one more surprise for you” Anakin says as Rex hands him a box. Anakin opens the box, inside are Ahsoka’s lightsabers.

“Good as new” Anakin said as Ahsoka took them out. She ignited them. They were blue rather than the green they were last time she used them.

“Well maybe better than new.”

“Guess who else is back!” Fives said as he sauntered in and took his helmet off, trying to act confident.

“Fives?” Rex said, he presumed that Fives was dead.

He looked a lot better than the last time Rex had saw him, but the armour was certainly new. It wasn’t clone armour.

“Fives we need to talk, bigtime” Rex said as he and Fives left the room.

“What the fuck? You just up and desert, do you know what consequences this has?! I was worried sick looking for you!” Rex said.

“What other option did you give me! None after your backup troops came in!” Fives shouted.

“What are you talking about?” Rex asked, puzzled.

“Why else would the Coruscant Guard have been there?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t call them. Neither did the general.”

“Don’t lie to me! First, you don’t vouch for me when you could’ve, letting the general believe I was a liar! Second, the timing was too perfect. I was pleading for help and they come in to arrest me!”

“Fives, you know as well as me that we aren’t bred to lie nor do any of us do it well. I didn’t call those troops. Maybe it was the Chancellor, you said he was in on this?”

“But how would the Chancellor know exactly where I was?”

“I don’t know but I’m confident he has his ways, maybe one of Fox’s droids that can identify someone.”

“That actually makes sense” Fives says, scratching his head, embarrassed for ever thinking Rex betrayed him.

“Did you really think I would betray you like that?” Rex said with a saddened expression.

“Honestly, I thought you did.”

“You clearly don’t know me that well then. You’re one of my closest friends, I wouldn’t do that to you, neither would the general. He was genuinely interested in hearing what you had to say before we went there.”

“I’m sorry Rex,” Fives said.

“I’m sorry too Fives but I hope you know that you can never come back. You’re a known deserter” Rex said, he didn’t look happy to have to say that though.

“I know. I felt like I had no other options that didn’t involve death. When I escaped, my speeder bike broke down and I ended up in Bo-Katan’s hideout. It was my most promising option, they take me off-world, I join their cause.”

“I didn’t know that. I sent Kix looking for you because he was investigating what you told him.” Rex took a deep breath before finishing his sentence “He’s missing in action.”

Fives was horrified to hear the news. “Why haven’t you looked for him?”

“We tried but with no luck and then the war ramped up so much that we put it on the back burner” Rex replied.

“Well after this, promise me that you’ll look for Kix” Fives said.

“I promise. Nice armour by the way” Rex said as an alarm began blaring throughout the ship. Fives quickly put on his helmet as Obi-Wan came running. Anakin finding out was bad enough, he didn’t need the stauncher Jedi to find out. Rex quickly went back into the room with Anakin and Ahsoka.

“Anakin, Rex. Prepare all forces. We’re jumping to hyperspace immediately.” Obi-Wan frantically said.

“Yes sir” Rex replied before turning to his troops and saying “Men, with me!”

Everyone runs around the room in a panic to where Rex needs to say “watch it! Watch it! Lads, you heard him let’s go!”

“So, the attack on Mandalore was approved?” Anakin optimistically asked.

“No, it’s Coruscant, Grievous has attacked the capitol.”

Fives quickly ran back to Bo-Katan and her group before listening to any more of what Obi-Wan was saying.

In the distance, he can hear Ahsoka saying something along the lines of “You’re gonna abandon Bo-Katan and her people?”

Surely, they could divvy up the forces for Mandalore and the other half go back to Coruscant. Rex has certainly earned a promotion by now. But of course, the Chancellor’s safety ranked more important than some outer rim world with a Sith lord ruling it. It was no point trying to tell the Jedi their own Chancellor was plotting their demise, at least not in Anakin’s presence.

When Ahsoka returned to Bo-Katan, Fives, and the others, she had told them the full extent of the news.

“The Jedi order is playing politics again” Ahsoka said as she rolled her eyes before continuing. “They’re going to rescue the Chancellor, but Anakin has divvied up the 501st with Rex serving as a commander and taking a group of troopers with him.”

“So, our siege will happen?” Bo-Katan asked, hoping for some success.

“Yes” Ahsoka said as they got onto their ship.


	6. Siege of Mandalore (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Siege of Mandalore begins!

Ahsoka, Bo-Katan, Fives, Ursa, and Daria were soon joined by the newly minted Commander Rex and the 332nd company as they flew down to the surface of Mandalore.

Rex’s comm beeps. He quickly takes the call.

_“Commander, I have prime minister Almec of Mandalore on the comm.”_

“Put him through” Rex said to the pilot.

Almec appeared in a holographic form to speak to Bo-Katan. He looks angry, to say the least.

_“What is the meaning of this invasion!? The Republic presence here is a direct violation of our treaty!”_

“Your time has come Almec! We know you're Maul’s puppet and we’re coming for him.” Bo-Katan said in a threatening tone.

_Ah-ha! Mistress Bo-Katan, the traitor. I should have known you were behind this incursion. Siding with the Republic will make you an enemy in the eyes of the people”_ Almec said condescendingly.

“I’m fine with that.” Bo-Katan replied confidently as she turned off the hologram.

“You’re nothing like your sister” Ahsoka commented. Bo-Katan simply ignored the comment, unsure if it was a compliment or an insult.

“Everything alright?” Fives whispered to Daria who seemed a little nervous.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well you did tell me that if you ever come back to Mandalore you were dead” Fives replied, recalling a past conversation.

“Pfft. You think I’m scared of Gar Saxon. Please! He’s nothing more than coward!” Daria replied as the ship got closer to Sundari.

Ursa was charged with scouting out Maul’s location on the group’s original ship. She noticed Saxon’s forces starting to prepare a counterattack, a much bigger one than necessary indicating Maul is likely still in the city. If he was there two days ago, he’s likely still there, especially with ships surrounding Mandalore.

Bo-Katan commed Ursa, looking for updates.

_“Ursa, can you confirm the target’s location?”_

“I can only confirm that Maul has not left the city. All other attempts to locate him have been blocked. Saxon is already scrambling his defenses.”

“Of course he is. That’s Gar Saxon for you” Daria said she muttered to Fives.

The ship was hit just as Daria finished her sentence. The doors to the ship fell open.

Bo-Katan, Daria, and several other nite owls jumped out of the ships, relying on their jetpacks in order to not fall to their deaths.

Saxon’s forces kept shooting and even boarded one of their ships. Fives was defending Ahsoka and Rex but couldn’t hold on much longer.

“What are you waiting for?! Get out of here! I don’t got all day to be protecting you!” Fives said.

"Race you to the surface?” Ahsoka said, Rex looked puzzled for a moment before chuckling while Fives stepped up, “If he won’t I will. And even if he will, I’ll join in too!”

“That’s not fair! You have a jetpack!” Ahsoka replied.

“And you have the force! C’mon!” Fives said as he jumped out.

“That’s not how the force works!” Ahsoka yelled after him before she and Rex jumped out.

Ahsoka took down some of Saxon’s forces with her lightsabers while Fives and the other Mandalorians began shooting at them using the blasters in their armour. In the distance, he spotted Ahsoka riding another guys jetpack before catching a ride onto the ship. So that’s how this race was gonna be, he thought. Fives lowered himself to deal with some of the other threats. Ahsoka made it to the surface first, followed closely behind by Fives, Rex, Bo-Katan, Ursa and Daria.

“Beat you both” Ahsoka said.

“I challenge you to a rematch sometime!” Fives said before running to join Bo-Katan and the other Mandalorians.

“I see some things never change” Rex said as he got to the surface.

Meanwhile, Gar Saxon was fighting off Republic forces

“We’re meeting stronger opposition than anticipated. They’ve already taken the docks and are moving on your position” Saxon said into the comm to Almec.

_“Escape to the Undercity. You will be met there.”_ Almec replied.

“Understood” Saxon said before preparing to get everyone to the undercity. He was the last person up there when Daria came down from the skies and stopped him dead in his tracks.

“Going somewhere? I thought you might like to spend some quality time with your little cousin” Daria said condescendingly.

“Can’t you see I’m a little busy!” Gar angrily replied.

“Don’t care. I see you’re trying to take off, is someone mad they’re being outplayed?” Daria taunted.

“Clearly someone can’t follow instructions. I told you that you’d be dead if you ever stepped foot on Mandalore again. I’m giving you one last chance, stop now or die _dar’manda_.”

“If anyone is _dar’manda_ it’s you!” Daria said, pointing to her cousin. “You have sold our clan out for outsiders to rule Mandalore, that’s not very _mando’ad_ of you!”

“That’s not for traitors like you to decide!”

“You have desecrated the very name Mandalorian, the Saxon name, and what our clan is all about! If your mother knew what you were doing, she’d be utterly ashamed!”

“She’s not here to see it, and besides I’m the leader of this clan I do what I want, for example, I can brand you as _dar’manda”_

_“Ne shab’rud’ni_. You will regret it” Daria said while looking her cousin dead in the eyes through his visor.

“I dare you to try.”

“Wow, for once, you’re not a coward!” Daria said as she moved to strike her cousin.

Gar pushed her over but Daria grabbed her cousin’s foot, dragging him down too. She pinned him to the ground and punched the visor out of his helmet. Saxon took out the blade in his vambraces to get the upper hand as she dodged the potential stabbing. In doing so, however, Saxon gained the upper hand and severely damaged the bottom left section of her helmet with his punches. Daria managed to kick him off of her and stand back up. She took out her blaster and began shooting at him. He blocked it with his shield as he got closer to her.

Bo-Katan, Ursa, Fives, and several other former Death Watch members came over and witnessed Daria taking on Gar Saxon all alone. When they tried to come over and help she put her hand out and shook her head.

She continued fighting her cousin. She went to kick him away after he repelled all her blaster shots with his shield. Gar grabbed her foot and dislocated it, knocking her to the ground. As she tried to get up. Gar put his knee on her chest and removed her helmet, despite her resistance. This was a sign of disrespect in their clan and Gar knew it.

“You claim you’re not _dar’manda_ yet you forcibly remove one’s helmet, let alone from your own clan! You make me sick!” Daria said as she tried to catch her breath from the pressure placed on her chest by his knee.

“I have no respect for traitors! It’s a shame too, we used to be so close at one point. How would your mother feel knowing she raised a traitor!”

“I’m not a traitor! My mother would have been proud of me for standing up for Mandalore, unlike you who sold out your people to criminals! If you had an ounce of respect for my mother’s life you would know how she would’ve felt about this situation!”

Saxon slashed Daria’s face with his switchblade. Daria drew her blaster to shoot at close range but Saxon managed to knock it out of her hand and punched her in the face, giving her a black eye and broke her nose.

“Not so fast. You’ll join your mother soon enough, but I need to have my fun first” Saxon said as he prepared to slowly stab her. Daria attempted to use her arm to punch him but he pinned it down with his foot. 

Bo-Katan and the others forced themselves to join in, despite Daria’s earlier protests. Saxon noticed this and slashed Daria’s throat, but not enough for it to kill her instantly. She began to bleed out onto the platform. After Saxon escaped, they returned to a dying Daria. They formed a circle around her and removed their helmets. Bo-Katan and Ursa crouched next to one another while Fives was on the other side, holding her hand as she lay dying. Something he did with his own brothers if possible.

“A-Avenge me” Daria said to Bo-Katan.

_“Mando’ad draar digu._ You have my word. Your death will not be in vain” Bo-Katan said.

Daria smiled at the use of _mando’a_ as she said. “ _vor’e ner vode”_ as she looked to the three people around her. Soon after she finished her sentence, Fives felt her grip loosen before it completely disappeared. Daria was gone. Her grey eyes looked glassy and lifeless. Bo-Katan closed Daria’s eyes.

“What did all that mean, not the basic part but the mando’a?” Fives asked.

“ _Dar manda_ means no longer Mandalorian, it’s often used to refer to someone who has lost their way which a lot of people on our side feel towards Gar Saxon and anyone who has sided with Maul. _Mando’ad Draar Digu_ means a Mandalorian never forgets and Daria’s last words, _vor’e ner vode_ translate to thanks, my friends.”

“What about the helmet situation, she seemed pretty mad about that?” Fives asked as they all stood up.

“It’s a sign of disrespect in some clans to forcibly remove someone’s helmet, Clan Saxon’s one of those clans, that’s why she defended you after General Skywalker removed your helmet on the ship” Bo-Katan said.

Ursa picked up Daria’s helmet and inspected it before carrying it away as they flew away to find Ahsoka and Rex.

They found Ahsoka and Rex on a balcony.

“No sign of Maul yet” Ahsoka said.

“We don’t have the numbers for a long siege” Bo-Katan said as she gestured to Ursa who had Daria’s helmet, indicating that Daria was among many who have died.

“I’ll head to the throne room to deal with Almec.” Bo-Katan said after.

“Keep this helmet safe, I have a little warrior who could use a helmet soon” Ursa said as she gave the helmet to Ahsoka. She in turn handed it to one of the clones who was now responsible for its safety.

“You must find Maul.”

“I want you to support Ursa at the docks. We must ensure Maul doesn’t escape” Ahsoka said to Rex.

“If he’s not, then all of this plays right into his hands” Rex said as he gestured to the ongoing siege as his comm went off.

_“Commander Rex, this is CT-0292. I think we have something.”_

I’ll be right there captain!” Ahsoka replied.

Ahsoka proceeded to the undercity to find Captain Vaughn who spoke of having engaged one of the leaders, Gar Saxon, who seemed to be in quite a hurry.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the throne room, several Maul-aligned soldiers were talking about the next moves of Ahsoka and company when Bo-Katan and Fives blew a hole through the door. They and everyone else rushed the throne room, shooting at everyone inside. Bo-Katan and her group used their plasma shields to block incoming retaliation shots as they made their way to the throne, hoping to kill everyone in their path.

Bo-Katan finds herself into a fist fight with one of the female soldiers from the other side but easily takes her down. Another soldier begins using his flamethrower, waving it around at everyone. Fives shoots at the man, distracting him enough so Bo-Katan can kick him to the ground. She begins to get swarmed by other soldiers but effortlessly slides underneath one who are too busy trying to shoot down everyone else. Some of them crowd around Fives but he’s learned how to use his armour and knows hand to hand combat which he combines to take them down.

Bo-Katan reaches the last soldier. This one looks different from the rest. His armour is not red, rather it was a green colour with gold accents. Bo-Katan uses her grappling hook which she attaches to his arm. Fives uses his too which attaches to the man’s other arm, effectively taking him down although he hadn't surrendered just yet. Fives uppercuts him and Bo-Katan goes in for the drop kick, making sure he fully surrenders. The man’s helmet slips off as Bo-Katan kicked him to the ground. It was Almec, no surprises there.

“Where’s Maul” Bo-Katan said while pointing her dart shooter at him. Fives and a few other nite owls crowd around Almec with blasters drawn so he doesn’t get away.

“You were never the politician your sister was” Almec scoffed.

Bo-Katan shot a dart. Almec narrowly dodged it.

“He wanted you to bring the Jedi here but you brought the wrong one” Almec admits.

“Ahsoka come in” Bo-Katan says into her comm. “You’re walking into a trap!”

Fives turns his head and says towards Bo-Katan’s comm. “Commander Tano! Get out of there now! It’s a trap!” before turning his head back to Almec.

“Ahsoka!” Bo-Katan said, trying to get a hold of her as quickly as possible.

“It’s no use, she’s likely already walked into the trap by now” Almec says.

* * *

Bo-Katan arrests Almec and takes him to a jail cell while everyone else ensures the throne room remains their impromptu base.

The clone tasked with protecting Daria’s helmet throws it back to Ursa when she walks into the room as they prepare a Mandalorian memorial to those who have died.

“Thanks” Ursa says as she places it into a small box bound for Krownest after the siege is over.

Ursa and Bo-Katan led everyone outside where some other Nite Owls had built a makeshift funeral pyre. Cremations were common in Mandalorian culture as was sometimes keeping various pieces of armour, like Daria’s helmet. Fives, Ursa, Bo-Katan, and the other Nite Owls pile the bodies they recovered onto the pyre and Bo-Katan lit it aflame as everyone said the names of the deceased. The funeral was quick out of necessity to keep vigilant in order to maintain the siege.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a translations:  
> dar'manda: not Mandalorian; sometimes used to describe someone who has lost their way or lost their heritage  
> mando'ad: Mandalorian  
> ne shab'rud'ni: don't mess with me  
> Mando'ad draar digu: a Mandalorian never forgets  
> vor'e: thanks  
> ner'vode: my friends 
> 
> Please let me know if I got any of this wrong


	7. Siege of Mandalore (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fives formulates a theory on who Darth Sidious is but he can't seem to catch a break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW/CW: Depictions of torture 
> 
> If anyone wants to skip the torture, skip from where it says "Maul used the force" to "By the time Ahsoka and Rex arrived", and skip from where it says "Meanwhile, Maul with Saxon and Rook" to "Saxon had snuck into the prison"

“There are a small number of firefights still happening in Sector 11” Bo-Katan says as Ahsoka brings up a holo map of Sundari. Obi-Wan is also there via hologram, which is who Bo-Katan is speaking to. “For the most part, your clones are as effective as promised. Still, without Maul in custody, this could all fall apart quickly. We must capture him before he escapes.”

Ahsoka recounts something Maul had said before saying “he mentioned a name, Darth Sidious.”

“Who is this Sidious?” Bo-Katan asked.

Fives started to become nervous. Although Palpatine never said he was a Sith Lord, if Maul was right about Sidious taking power, perhaps Sidious and Palpatine are the same person. He chose not to say anything because to his knowledge, Obi-Wan had no idea that he was still alive and he did not want a court-martial for deserting, especially if it’s anything like that time on Umbara.

_“I do not know much, but I will share with you what the council suspects”_ Obi-Wan said.

_“Darth Sidious is the Sith Lord who orchestrated the Clone Wars and played both sides of it from the beginning. I first learned the name from Count Dooku though any chance of learning more about Sidious from Dooku has been lost.”_

Fives began to formulate a theory based on his own observations from when he learned of the inhibitor chips. Palpatine was involved with the clone’s inhibitor chips which had made Tup kill a Jedi, perhaps it’s Palpatine who is playing both sides. The inhibitor chips were likely connected to this Sith lord. Palpatine is the Sith Lord? Fives almost didn’t believe it himself but it was the only thing that made sense.

“Why?” Ahsoka asked.

_“Because Count Dooku is dead. Anakin killed him while rescuing the Chancellor.”_

You mean, the Sith Lord, Fives thought.

_“With Dooku gone, we’ve lost a vital link to understanding the mystery of Darth Sidious. If you can capture Maul, he may be able to provide the missing pieces to this puzzle.”_

“Then send me more men” Ahsoka said. Bo-Katan nodded in agreement.

_“Unfortunately, I cannot. I’m being sent to hunt down General Grievous on Utapau.”_

“What about Anakin? Maybe he can reinforce us?” Ahsoka asked, optimistically.

_“May I speak to Ahsoka, alone for a moment?”_ Obi-Wan said to everyone else standing around the holo map of Sundari.

Everyone obliges as Obi-Wan begins to talk a little more quietly.

_“Anakin is on a special assignment by order of the Jedi Council.”_

“What kind of assignment?”

_“He has been instructed to observe the Chancellor and report his findings.”_

“Observe? You mean spy. They told him to spy on the Supreme Chancellor? Why?”

_“The Senate has allowed the Supreme Chancellor to remain in office long after his term has expired. The council wants to know what his true intentions are.”_

“The Chancellor has been a good friend and mentor to Anakin. I can’t imagine he is happy about this.” Ahsoka said in disbelief of everything Obi-Wan has said.

_“No, he is not. So perhaps it’s best that you do speak with him.”_

“And what? Defend the Council’s actions? I hardly think I’m the best person for that.”

_“Ahsoka, the council isn’t always right. That’s why I’m asking for your help.”_

Rex bursts in unannounced.

“Sorry to interrupt but there’s been an attack!” Rex said.

_“You had better go”_ Obi-Wan replied to Ahsoka.

  
Ahsoka stopped for a moment, said something to Obi-Wan before leaving with Rex and the others. Bo-Katan, Ursa, Fives, and several other Mandalorians had already started to counter attack but many of them were killed, as were many clone troopers.

Maul and his forces went through Bo-Katan and her troops as well as the some of Rex’s clone troopers. Maul was a formidable opponent who often used the force. Maul seemed to identify two targets in particular, targets who seemed to have known info important to Maul. One was obvious, Jesse. He was clearly an older clone trooper, Maul could sense it.

The other target, less so. He dressed Mandalorian but fought like a clone trooper.

* * *

Fives and Jesse along with a few other troopers including Sterling were one of the groups formed from the group that went down to C-Sector. The other group, led by Bo-Katan searched another tunnel. While the group with Fives and Jesse ran into Maul.

Maul used the force to probe Jesse’s mind based on his suspicion that Jesse was an older clone. Fives shot at Maul. Maul used the force to deflect the bullet into one of the clones, dropping Jesse who was then dragged away by Rook. Gar then went for Fives. Fives immediately began shooting at him, managing to hit the Mandalorian in the shoulder before Maul probed Fives’ mind. Fives screamed in agony before Maul dropped him. He was quickly restrained by some of Maul's forces, preventing him from shooting at the others. Maul was shocked to learn that Fives had seemed to figure out about his master’s identity. This was a useful clone and would definitely bring both Ahsoka and Bo-Katan to them. He captured Fives and Jesse and took them alive, much to the other clones horror.

By the time Ahsoka and Rex arrived, the threat was under control but several people were missing. Sterling was on the ground, wounded by a blaster bullet. He panted as he told Ahsoka what had happened.

“You need to know. Maul he-“ Sterling coughed before continuing his recount “he went through us, one by one. He was asking about you. The ARC Trooper, Jesse, Maul realized he was older, somehow. Looked into his mind. And Fives, Maul realized he had a lot of important info, both to you and to Bo-Katan. He took Jesse and Fives alive!”

Meanwhile, Maul, with Saxon and Rook standing guard holding onto Jesse while another duo or guards maintained a grip on Fives who kept trying to leave their grip as Maul interrogated the two clones, hoping to get information from them about Ahsoka.

“You’re wasting your time. I won’t tell you anything!” Jesse said.

“We’ll see about that.”

“No, we won’t” Fives said, reinforcing Jesse’s point of not saying anything while still trying to free himself from his captor’s grip.

“How charming that you actually believe that statement to be true” Maul menacingly said as Jesse tried to fight his captors.

“Clones, bred for combat. All part of the plan. Whether you want to believe it or not” Maul said, looking at Fives.

“What plan? What are you talking about?” Jesse asked as he looked at Fives. He obviously knew something to end up in the position he was in. Maul decided to use the force to invade Fives’ mind, Fives screamed in pain before he said what he knew.

“The Chancellor made sure every clone had an inhibitor chip, meant to make us follow his every order, even destroy the Jedi” Fives said as he fell to his knees onto the ground.

“Good, very good” Maul said with a sadistic smile.

“The Chancellor? He would never do such a thing!?” Jesse said.

“My Master’s been playing almost everyone for a fool, including myself. I wasn’t even aware of its grand design, but I’m not here to learn more about the plan. I played my part and you know what happened to me? I was cast aside. I was forgotten but I survived, and I can thrive in the chaos that is to come. I’m here for information and I’m sure Saxon here knows information is a valuable commodity. See to it that the Prime Minister does not become an asset to our enemy.”

“Yes my lord” Saxon says as Maul turns to look at Jesse. “Now, the real reason I’m here is that there are some things I need to know, and you’re going to help me.”

“No, I won’t become your pawn. We can go round and round in this circle if you want. I ain’t telling you anything” Jesse replied.

“You say this as if you have a choice. It’s not up to you, it never was” Maul said.

“Yes, it is” Fives said.

“No it isn’t” Maul replied as he started to force choke Fives for a moment. He was not planning to kill him, he just wanted to intimidate him enough so that he wouldn’t get in the way. It worked. Fives was on the ground, trying to catch his breath as Maul said to Jesse “your mind will speak or it will break.” As he began to probe Jesse’s mind. Jesse tried to pull away but Rook was keeping him in place.

“Tell me. Who is this Ahsoka Tano?”

Mind probing was very painful on the subject. Jesse let out a blood-curdling scream as he let out all the information Maul wanted.

Fives went to reassure him but was held back by Maul. It was obvious from the look on Jesse’s face that he did not want to give the information but also didn’t want to sacrifice his mind. All the more imperative that Fives gets as many clones as possible to remove their chips. It broke Tup’s mind up until the moment it was removed and none of his brothers deserve to go out that way.

Saxon had snuck into the prison below the palace and shot Almec, as ordered by Maul. Bo-Katan recognized him immediately and went after him, taking a few Nite owls with her. They shot at Saxon who shot back as they went around the prison. Saxon shot a missile at the prison, causing a large explosion, the fallout of which he attempted to use as a distraction as he got away. This did not work on Bo-Katan, who continuously chased him down. She shot at him as he flew down the elevator shaft. She shot the mechanism which was keeping the platform moving. Once it ceased, Saxon landed on the platform, Bo-Katan right on his tail as the two began to brawl.

Bo-Katan is furious and is not only looking to take her planet back but also looking to get the vengeance Daria had asked her to while she was dying from the wounds Saxon gave her. Bo-Katan used that energy to kick Saxon before Saxon could land another hit. She almost kicked him off the platform but he managed to hang on as he saw another platform come speeding down. He took advantage of this and prepared to jump on, only to be shot at by Bo-Katan. Saxon needed to take care of this menace as he begins to use his flamethrower. Bo-Katan used her plasma shield to deflect the flames. Frustrated, Saxon kicks her off the platform she was on. Bo-Katan clings onto the elevator shaft for dear life as Saxon continues shooting more flames at her. Bo-Katan manages to use her shield just in time as Saxon takes over the platform she was once on. Another platform came rushing down and Bo-Katan escaped Saxon but was underneath the speeding platform. She used her jetpack to keep her hold onto it but it was reaching the bottom and fast. Her jetpack was starting to malfunction as the platform reached the bottom. She held it up just long enough to escape through the door. The Nite Owl and the clone trooper on that platform followed close behind but it was too late, Saxon got away.

Back in the undercity, Saxon returned. The two torture victims were not causing trouble at the moment, if only to avoid Maul’s tactics. Both were on their knees, with one guard on either side of them to ensure no escape attempts. Maul appeared distracted by something. He was saying something to Rook and Saxon. The only part Fives could hear well enough to decipher was Maul saying “the galaxy will soon be remade and in the chaos, we must seize what power we can”. Maul says something else, causing the Mandalorians around him to cheer. Some of them moved closer to Maul but they forgot to keep their victims in sight. Fives decided to slowly get up and make a break for it, taking Jesse with him, he managed to get up even without being able to use his hands, thanks to the stuncuffs. He walked over to Jesse when one of the guards turned around and noticed him trying to escape. They quickly restrained him and put another set of stuncuffs on, this time on his feet.

Back in the palace, the Mandalorian people are becoming fed up at the Republic occupation. It made Bo-Katan sick. She couldn’t watch any longer. As she walked away from the balcony, Ahsoka and Rex followed her.

“This occupation cannot last much longer. The people will not stand for it. I will not stand for it” Bo-Katan said. 

“You asked for our help. My men don’t want to be acting as a police force” Rex said.

“Republic forces will depart once we capture Maul. Then you will have your opportunity to lead” Ahsoka said.

When they walked into the throne room, they saw Maul sitting on the throne, as if he had the right to be there. On one side, Jesse appeared helpless on his knees, stripped of his armour, except for the bottom half but without the weapons it once included. On the other side, Fives was also on his knees, or else Maul would painfully probe his mind once again. Fives also had the bottom half of his armour with the weapons, vambraces, and jetpack removed, ensuring both clones were weaponless. Both prisoners were in stuncuffs, and Fives had additional cuffs as opposed to Jesse who only had them on his hands.

“I agree” Maul said, overhearing what Ahsoka had said.

Bo-Katan became furious, how dare he disrespect the throne of Mandalore like this? She thought as she went after Maul, shooting him. Maul effortlessly deflects each one with the force. He eventually lifts Bo-Katan into the air and chokes her a little, saying “My lady is that any way to treat your rightful ruler?” before dropping her. Rex and Ahsoka immediately run over to her.

“And now as a show of good faith, I return your comrades in arms to you. Though I must recommend, Lady Bo-Katan that you train your troops a little better. One of them really didn’t like my hospitality” Maul said as he stared directly at Fives as he used the force to undo both sets of cuffs. Both clones appear to be in a lot of pain as they limped over to Bo-Katan, Rex and Ahsoka.

“I’m sorry commander, I couldn’t help it. I told him everything” Jesse quietly said. The expression on his face told Ahsoka everything she needed to know about what Maul had put him through.

“It’s not like he wanted to” Fives said on Jesse’s behalf.

“It’s okay” Ahsoka says reassuringly.

“I hope you made him regret taking you” Bo-Katan says to Fives.

“I tried to escape so I’m thinking he regretted it” Fives said with a pained smirk.

“Rex, get them out of here” Ahsoka said. Rex obliged, taking his brothers to see medics. On the inside, Fives was worried. He still hadn’t had a chance to tell Ahsoka his theory. From being sent with the 501st to being captured by Maul, he couldn’t seem to catch a break. As if the force was not with him and did not want him to reveal what he was so sure of. However, he was still as determined as ever to tell Ahsoka, the only person who had any form of power to tell Obi-Wan and for him to actually believe it. Anyone would trust Ahsoka over some deserter clone.

There were explosions everywhere outside.

Maul condescendingly says “Uhm, one of you might want to go deal with that.”

“You should go, your people need you” Ahsoka said to Bo-Katan.

“Don’t stay on my account, we’ll be fine” Maul said, menacingly. Bo-Katan reluctantly leaves to deal with the explosions. Saxon was back at it again.

Bo-Katan took what was left of the Nite Owls and a bunch of Rex’s clone troopers to deal with the mess outside and hopefully fight off Saxon’s forces.


	8. Siege of Mandalore (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Siege of Mandalore prepares to come to a close while Fives is forced to make a tough decision

Fives and Jesse were discharged quickly from the medic. He looked to the palace, desperate to tell Ahsoka what he knew but was quickly ushered away by Rex and tasked with helping Bo-Katan and her people. Fives was starting to regret his choice of going with Bo-Katan. They were his friends but at the same time, he spent so much time with them that he failed to warn Ahsoka, someone who actually had the power to do something and would’ve believed him. Luckily someone kept his armour that Maul stripped from him when he was captured as Fives quickly got out onto the battlefield.

Saxon’s forces were going all out on the Mandalorian/Clone trooper alliance, taking out people left and right by the time Fives, Rex, and Jesse got out there. Maul was nowhere to be found, likely battling Ahsoka or trying to recruit her. The whole time Fives was with Maul, he talked of a plan, the Chancellor’s plan. Maybe he was trying to recruit Ahsoka for his own plan. His thoughts almost distracted him from the opposing soldier going in for a hit. Fives quickly defended himself from the soldier and immersed himself in the fight that was ongoing while his mind was plotting on how to tell Ahsoka of what he had figured out, both while she spoke to General Kenobi and while in Maul’s captivity.

Night fell on Sundari as the windows shattered on the palace. Was it the explosions outside? Or was it Maul somehow? Maul can also use the force, like the Jedi generals and Commander Tano. That was evident when Maul used it as a torture tactic. From the corner of his eye, he saw a flare of blue and red. The blue was the same colour he had seen throughout the war, it was the colour of General Skywalker and Kenobi’s lightsabers and now Ahsoka’s. Red was probably Maul’s lightsaber colour.

Saxon’s forces continuously shot missiles at the clones and the remnants of Death Watch, making it difficult for anyone to escape. Fives looked around and was relieved to see Ursa, Bo-Katan, Jesse, and Rex all having managed to avoid Saxon’s missiles but slowly they began to land hits on Saxon’s forces once they landed on the ground. Rex was leading the group of clones.

“Move it, move it!” Rex says as he pushes his platoon forward. Bo-Katan, Fives, Ursa, and the other Mandalorians took to the skies as they shot at Saxon and his forces and began bombing them. In the distance, Fives can see Maul having jumped out the window and Ahsoka having gone after Maul. This was a good sign for Bo-Katan. 

Bo-Katan’s group comes back to the ground and landed in front of the clone troopers to take the lead in assaulting Saxon and his forces. 

“Come on!” Rex says, gesturing for the clones to keep going, now with a little more confidence due to Bo-Katan, Ursa, and Fives being in the front.

Ahsoka looks around as she tries to find Maul, she notices Bo-Katan engaged in hand-to-hand combat with someone, Fives isn’t too far away, engaged in a shoot-out with another soldier. Ahsoka spots Maul scaling a building and goes after him.

Saxon’s forces get decimated in the battle; clones point guns to the ones who are surrendering. For those who aren’t, Mandalorians and clones go after them with guns drawn. Saxon attempts to hide behind a massive piece of debris as he contacts Maul. 

“Lord Maul! I need backup. Our forces are falling. We need your support.”

Maul is in no position to be giving any forces support.

“No. I think not. Any moment my ship will be arriving. Die well, Mandalorian” He says as he is up high on a narrow beam. Hoping he lost Ahsoka but also not counting on that. 

_“No! Wait!”_ Saxon says but Maul cuts him off as he walks around, high above the city of Sundari when two blue lights shine behind him. Ahsoka.

Saxon is appalled by the sudden betrayal. Was that all he was to them? A means to an end? He has no time for such thoughts when he looks behind him. Bo-Katan has her blaster drawn. Fives soon joins her, blaster drawn. Saxon surrenders. Both Bo-Katan and Fives wanted to kill him so badly but because they got the republic to help with this invasion, the republic wants to hold these traitors captive. Order of Chancellor Palpatine according to Ahsoka.

“Daria was right, you are a _hut’uun_!” Bo-Katan said.

Saxon stayed quiet as he was arrested. 

Rex and a group of clones, along with Bo-Katan, Fives and Ursa are leading Saxon and what’s left of his forces away. Rex took over with escorting Saxon while Bo-Katan focused on another soldier.

After Saxon’s forces are arrested. Fives looks up to see Ahsoka and Maul dueling high above Sundari.

“Look!” Fives said to Rex.

The colour left Rex’s face for a moment before he sprang into action.

“C’mon, get the gunships! We need a ship or two up there to catch them if they fall!” Rex said.

Ahsoka is almost hanging off the beam as Rex and some troops to board the ships. Another ship appears above them but nobody on the ground can make out what it’s saying, regardless, the duel continues as Fives sees a lightsaber fall to the ground. He catches it and keeps it on his belt to give back to Ahsoka as he boards Rex’s ship.

As the gunships ascend the skies, Maul begins to fall. Ahsoka seems to be using the force to keep him from falling to his death.

“Let me go! Let me die!” Maul yells as the gunships get closer.

“You’re all going to burn! We’re all going to die!” Maul says as the doors to the gunships open. Fives and another Mandalorian used the vambraces in their armour to wrap Maul in a series of ropes, keeping him from flailing around while Ahsoka holds him above the ground, keeping him from dying. 

“You don’t know what you’re doing!” Maul yells as Rex stuns him and Ahsoka lets go.

“We’ll take it from here commander!” Rex says as Ahsoka boards the other ship.

Bo-Katan watches as Saxon and his forces are dragged away by the clones. She is satisfied. At least now there are no more Maul sympathizers. Her only regret is not killing any of them. She looks over as Ahsoka returns to the ground, Rex’s ship shortly behind her. Fives branches off to return Ahsoka’s lightsaber.

“Thanks!” Ahsoka says as she catches it.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Fives asks.

“Sure” Ahsoka said.

“So, I never had a chance to tell you this theory earlier because y’know, I got captured. Anyway, I took what General Kenobi said and my own observations during the inhibitor chip situation and I think the Chancellor is the Sith lord they’re looking for. Think about it! He tried to kill me for knowing the truth about the inhibitor chips in every single clone, Maul said the Chancellor was playing everyone for a fool after he used the force to draw my knowledge out of me.”

“That’s a bold accusation” Ahsoka replied.

“Think about it, and please tell someone, someone who has the power to do something about it. Someone trustworthy. Maybe General Kenobi, General Windu, General Plo, anyone? I’m begging you to please tell someone who can do something about it as soon as possible. General Skywalker didn’t believe me so maybe don’t go to him. I can’t do it myself without being court-martialed or worse” Fives pleaded.

Ahsoka thought about what Maul had said during their duel. “I will” Ahsoka replied as she walked away towards Bo-Katan.

“You actually captured him. I’m impressed” Bo-Katan said.

“That is what the council wanted” Ahsoka replied.

“Still. You succeeded where many have failed” Bo-Katan replied.

“I’ve learned from the best, including you” Ahsoka said. Bo-Katan’s eyebrows perked up at the comment but she soon became saddened.

“I wish I was good at something other than war” Bo-Katan said.

Fives interrupts the serious conversation, saying “Now you know that’s nonsense. You’re a good leader and not the war kind. Like when we were stuck on your ship, you easily kept the peace but also maintained your friendships with everyone, despite how mad some of them got when you put your foot down. You're just what Mandalore needs, seeing how divided it seems. Almost like the Nite Owls are sometimes."

Bo-Katan stayed quiet.

“He's right. Your people need a new kind of leader” Ahsoka said.

“My sister tried that. I never understood her idealism” Bo-Katan said. Their conversation is interrupted yet again. This time by Rex.

“Commander. I have the council waiting.”

“And Master Skywalker? Were you able to contact him?” Ahsoka asked.

“he was at the meeting when I left to get you.”

“Go on. I can handle this” Bo-Katan said as Ahsoka went off with Rex. 

Ahsoka went to her meeting with the council and was going to tell the council what Fives told her. General Skywalker was no longer there when Ahsoka arrived. She wanted to speak to Anakin but knew that it was probably better that Anakin was not there if what Fives said about Anakin not believing him was true.

_"I understand your mission was a success."_ Master Windu said. 

"Yes, I have Maul in custody. I will escort Commander Rex when he delivers him to Coruscant" Ahsoka replied. 

_"A great service to the republic, you have done"_ Yoda said, commending Ahsoka on her actions. 

"I did my duty as a citizen" Ahsoka said. 

_"Not as a Jedi"_ Yoda replied. 

"No, not yet." 

"Where is Master Skywalker? I was told he was in the meeting when Commander Rex left to get me" Ahsoka said. 

_"I sent him to inform the Chancellor that Grievous has indeed been located on Utapau"_ Mace Windu said.

“Is Master Kenobi available?” Ahsoka asked.

“ _Engaged the enemy, he has_ ” Yoda said. 

Windu wasn’t exactly the easiest Jedi to talk to but if Masters Yoda, Windu, Secura, and Mundi were in the same holo call, she could say what she wants to say and they may do something. She needed to be careful with her wording, Fives specified that he did not want his identity to be revealed for fear for his life.

“Then the war could be over soon.”

“ _That depends on the Chancellor_ ” Master Windu said.

This was her chance.

“Speaking of the Chancellor, I have a theory” Ahsoka said.  
“ _Now is not the time for silly theories_ ” Windu said.

“ _Hear what she has to say, I wish_ ” Yoda said.

“Thank you Master, I sense something dark. I sense that the Chancellor may be the sith lord you’re looking for and I have a bad feeling that the soldiers we are fighting with may be the ones he intends to use to destroy the Jedi. Maul even said something about how the republic is about to fall. While I took everything Maul said with a grain of salt, I think the Chancellor is worth investigating and with more than just having Anakin there. Maul said Anakin is the key to everything but not to bring balance to the force, Maul even said that Anakin had long been groomed for his role. The Chancellor holds the most power in the galaxy, if anyone is to make the Republic fall, it would be him” Ahsoka said.

_“That is a very bold accusation from a citizen_ ” Windu replied.

_“Sense the dark side of the force, I do. Investigate this claim, we shall”_ Yoda said.

“Thank you” Ahsoka said, relieved that she got everything off her chest.

* * *

Fives became antsy. He couldn’t just sit around when the conspiracy was coming into fruition all around them. The war appeared to be ending. What would happen to the clones? What about the inhibitor chips that would make clones kill Jedi?

“Everything alright? You look like you’re gonna be sick” Bo-Katan said.

“No. I have a bad feeling” Fives replied.

“About what?”

“That Maul won’t make it to Coruscant. Everything I had learned way back then seems to be starting to build up. The war appears to be coming to an end. Obi-Wan is likely engaging General Grievous, Dooku is dead. It’s all coming together for the grand finale. When all the clone’s inhibitor chips are activated, and they kill the Jedi. We clones were only built for this war and with this war ending, what’s next? I need to do something” Fives said.

“But what?” Bo-Katan asked. Fives was always difficult to read.

“I don’t know. If I sneak on that ship, I risk a good chance of getting caught. If I don’t and stay here, I could risk losing my brothers” Fives said in a much more serious tone as he gestured towards the shuttle being prepared to go to the ship that will be going to Coruscant.

“Don’t tell me you’re actually gonna sneak on that ship? What if you’re wrong and you end up on Coruscant with no way out? You narrowly got out last time” Bo-Katan whispered.

“I know how important family is to you so listen, if your nephew was captured and you find out where he’s at but if you go to rescue him, you have a 95% chance of getting captured and/or dying but you can save him in the process, would you take the risk?”

Bo-Katan thought about it for a moment before saying “yes”.

“For me, this is a chance to save my brothers from the fate that may await them, they’re the closest thing I have to a family.”

“But what about us? We took you in at your most desperate hour but now you’re deserting us? Aren’t we a family to you too?”

“Yes, but you don’t urgently need me at the moment. My brothers do. I helped you on Mandalore and with your fight and I promise to return someday but I need to finish my own fight. You saved me, giving me another chance and I will be forever grateful but my information is no good to them on Mandalore” Fives said as he turned away from Bo-Katan. Bo-Katan looked away from him as she said “Then go.”

Fives felt bad about leaving Bo-Katan but he knew deep down it was the right decision. His whole mission was to save at least the 501st from the inhibitor chips but he got sidetracked on Mandalore. At least he still had a chance he thought as he snuck into the shuttle.

Bo-Katan had been preparing to escort Maul into the shuttle but before that, she went into the palace when she heard a familiar voice from around the corner “Auntie Bo?”

Bo-Katan turned around.

“Korkie? Where have you been?”

“Maul kept me in a special cell, away from the other prisoners after aunt Satine died. I tried to meet back up with you but-“

Bo-Katan interrupted Korkie and said “it’s okay, everything will be better. I promise” Bo-Katan said before Ursa walked in.

“It’s time, the ship is awaiting Maul.”

“That’s my queue but I’ll be back for dinner?” Bo-Katan said.

“What are we having?” Korkie asked.

“I don’t know, we'll decide after” Bo-Katan said as she left with Ursa.

When she and Ursa walked outside, Maul was contained in a Mandalorian vault.

“Impressive, I bet even Maul couldn’t get out of there” Ahsoka said to Bo-Katan who stood next to Ahsoka while Rex occupied Bo-Katan’s initial position at the front of the group of Mandalorians, next to Ursa.

“A relic of a bygone era. When Mandalorians had reason to imprison you force wielding maniacs” Bo-Katan replied. 

“I thought your sister outlawed such devices” Ahsoka said.

“She did. This was the last one” Bo-Katan replied as Maul had been put on the ship. Bo-Katan turned to Ahsoka and reached out her hand. She looked around to see if Fives had succeeded in sneaking onto the ship like he planned. She saw Fives peek out from inside the ship and their eyes met for a second before he quickly disappeared into the ship.

“Goodbye, Ahsoka Tano” Bo-Katan said. Ahsoka simply nodded as she walked onto the ship.

Ursa stood behind Bo-Katan as Ahsoka walked away. She whispered, “Where’s Fives gone?”

“He pursued another fight” Bo-Katan said.

“Does this have to do with the other clones?” Ursa asked.

“Yea.”

“So, you’re telling me he’s on that ship?!” Ursa angrily whispered.

“Yea. I just hope he knows what he’s doing” Bo-Katan said.

“You didn’t try to stop him?”

“I did but he wanted none of it. He’s like us though, he cares about his family just like you and I care about ours. He said he had a bad feeling the ship wasn’t getting to Coruscant because of the war ending and the clones being designed for this war. On top of that, I don’t know if he ever told you the sensitive information, he had but it had to do with inhibitor chips in every clone and that one happened to be activated too early and caused the death of a Jedi.”

“So, he’s trying to stop further destruction and in the process get Maul to Coruscant.”

“I didn’t look at it that way, about getting Maul to Coruscant, but I think you’re right.”

“Whether you like it or not, you can’t deny that we would've done the same thing if we were in his position” Ursa replied as the ship flew away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a translations  
> hut'uun: coward


	9. Peace?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fives sneaks onto the ship to try to save his brothers

When the shuttle reached the _Venator,_ Fives waited for everyone else to leave before sneaking off the shuttle. He snuck around the star destroyer when he saw Jesse and Rex come out of the mess hall together. Rex was preparing to head up to the bridge with Commander Tano when Fives intercepted the two. He removed his helmet.

“Fives? What are you doing here?!” Rex asked.

“You could end up killed!” Jesse said in a hushed tone.

“I don’t have time for scolding” Fives says as he brings Jesse and Rex into a room with a bunch of dormant droids.

“You need to remove your inhibitor chips now. The timing, it’s perfect for whatever sinister plan is in place with them. The war is about to end, we were made for this war.” Fives says with his helmet off and pointing to his temple when referring to the inhibitor chip.

“We will but how?” Rex asked.

“We will go to the med bay, take one of these droids with us, they will find the chip and remove it. Simple. The procedure only takes a few minutes” Fives said.

The conversation is interrupted by Rex’s comm.

_“Commander Rex, the latest briefing has come in and Ahsoka Tano is still awaiting your arrival. Where have you been?”_

“Sorry Sir, I needed to talk to Jesse. Personal matter” Rex replied. Not a bad lie, for a clone.

_“Ok well, we need you as soon as possible.”_

Meanwhile, on the bridge, Ahsoka began having force visions of something terrible.

* * *

_“You must choose!”_

_“Don’t listen to him Anakin! He's the one responsible for this war!”_

_“It’s not the Jedi way. He must live! He must stand trial!”_ Ahsoka could distinctly tell this was Anakin.

_“He’s too dangerous to be left alive.”_ Ahsoka could also tell that this was Master Windu. They must have went through with some form of an investigation.

_“Please don’t.”_

_“I need him.”_ Anakin again, Ahsoka determined.

_“UNLIMITED, POWER!”_

_“AHHHHH.”_

Ahsoka could hear the sound of lightning, but not just any lightning. This wasn’t the type of thunderstorms Coruscant would have on occasion but Ahsoka was unsure what kind of lightning it was, maybe force lightning? No, that was a dark side power. Maul was the last dark side user she knew for besides Darth Sidious unless Anakin and Mace found Darth Sidious? But what of the other Jedi? Surely Mace didn't go alone

_“What have I done!”_ Ahsoka was 100% certain this was Anakin. She couldn’t tell who the other voice belonged to, but it didn’t sound like somebody good, especially if it ended with Master Windu screaming and Anakin sounding filled with regret.

“Anakin?” She whispered after her force vision ended.

* * *

Fives snuck around the ship some more until he could hear the latest briefing Rex was told about. Fives decided to eavesdrop since the door to the room was closed.

_“Commander Rex, the time has come. Execute order 66.”_

The Chancellor was Lord Sidious this whole time? Fives knew the Chancellor was in on it. That’s why he worked so hard to get Fives killed. In that moment, Fives staggered for a moment. He failed his brothers. Now they are subject to whatever horrors were about to come. Then he realized, Ahsoka was in there. She would either be pulverized or narrowly escape but pulverization seemed more likely. Fives got out of there immediately so he wouldn’t be shot down for being a traitor.

Rex heard the word. Something in Rex’s mind clicked, the inhibitor chip Fives warned him about. Rex felt like a robot as he automatically said “yes, Lord Sidious.” He walked into the room where Ahsoka was. Ahsoka ran to him, how oblivious she was to what had really happened as she said “Rex. It’s Anakin. I feel like something terrible has happened.”

Rex, Jesse, and some other clones crowded around Ahsoka. She was so confused. Rex was able to fight his programming long enough to feel remorse for what he had to do and to be hurt by the scene about to happen but none of that mattered once the chip took over. His whole body trembled as he dropped his helmet on the floor.

“Rex?” Ahsoka asked.

Clones crowded around her, blasters pointed at her, ready to shoot

“No! I’ll do it” Rex said as he stood before her.

“Rex? What’s happening?” Ahsoka asked.

Rex was shaking as he pointed his blasters at her. Rex’s aim was never shaky, even in tense situations he carried himself with calmness and with the poise of a captain. Ahsoka attempted to move closer but Rex yelled “stay back!”

There was silence, his fellow troopers waiting for their commander to give the word on when to shoot. Rex was trying to fight his programming long enough to give her a fighting chance at survival. He didn’t want to kill her.

“Find him. Find him. Fives. Find him! Fives!” Rex yelled before his programming took over and he was mindlessly shooting at Ahsoka.

Fives could hear blaster shots as he ran through the halls. They were non-stop for several minutes. Ahsoka likely was fighting back or at least deflecting them. Suddenly the noise stopped, and he faintly heard someone say “Hold your fire we got her!”

Ahsoka narrowly escaped the clones and ran to find Fives. She didn’t yet realize Fives was on board this ship so she went to search for his files but she needed to buy herself some time.

* * *

The ship began to rumble around Fives. He stopped for a moment to catch his bearings before Ahsoka bumped into him.

“You’re just the person I’m looking for” Ahsoka said as she dragged him into the same room as Fives had dragged Rex and Jesse into earlier. Fives took off his helmet as they got into the room.

“Rex managed to say to find you right before he started shooting. I assumed he meant your files and not actually you” Ahsoka said.

“Well surprise! Besides, those files are probably biased about how I deserted and what not” Fives replied.

“I know you mentioned something about inhibitor chips in every clone, where exactly were they? I assume you had yours out because you’re not trying to kill me.”

“Yea, I convinced a medical droid on Kamino to take mine out. It was right here.” Fives said as he pointed to the spot on his head. "I would assume it's in the same spot in every clone" Fives continued. Ahsoka looked around at all the droids and found a few that could help. She then powered them on. They all made noise.

“Shhhh” She said calmly.

“We might be able to do something about what the clones are doing. This is a dangerous mission, are you sure you want to do it?” Ahsoka said as if she were talking to the younglings. The droids chirped in approval. 

“Shhh” Ahsoka says to the droids a little more aggressively than before.

“R7, bring up every secure file on CT-5555. I want to see if there’s anything in here that might be of use.”

“This should be interesting. I thought I told you everything you needed to know” Fives groaned.

“I want to see if there’s a copy of a scan that might help since you said Tup killed a Jedi and had to go back to Kamino” Ahsoka said as R7 finished his job.

_“An independent investigation confirmed that the clone trooper CT-5555 experienced a malfunction with his inhibitor chip.”_

Fives laughed before mockingly imitating the holo projection of Nala Se, “An independent investigation confirmed that CT-5555 experienced a malfunction with his inhibitor chip.” Fives continues, “what a load of garbage. I removed it because they were plotting to kill the Jedi but no one believed me and I didn’t want what happened to Tup to happen to me.” 

_"Both the senate committee and the Jedi Council have accepted these findings. However, a grievance report was filed by CT-7567."_

"Huh, interesting" Fives said. 

"R7, bring up that report" Ahsoka ordered. 

R7 shook its head and beeped in a way to indicate that the report is sealed. 

"It's sealed? Try Anakin's passcode, 8108" Ahsoka then said.

_"I already know this report is gonna fall on deaf_ ears" Rex began, he looked down and sighed before saying _"_ _but I owe it to Fives to record what I saw. I'm not sure if I believe it myself but there's a possibility that the inhibitor chips the Kaminoans put inside of us have- a purpose that we don't yet fully understand."_

"I guess someone did believe you after all" Ahsoka half-heartedly teased. 

"Yea but the general didn't" Fives replied before Ahsoka turned off the recording and went with Fives’ version of the information.

“So, what’s your plan?” Fives asked.

“I want to save Rex” Ahsoka said.

“I’m fine with that, glad even but I assumed you’d wanna get out of here as quickly as possible.”

“Well yes but I got Maul causing chaos so I’m hoping he takes care of them for me, or they take care of him” Ahsoka said.

“You let Maul out?!” Fives asked.

“Yes, I’ll explain later why that’s a good thing. All you need to know now is diversion.”

“Do you plan on saving anyone else, Jesse maybe?”

“I want to, but Rex is more likely to travel alone, Jesse is more likely to have a group much closer than Rex would” Ahsoka said.

Ahsoka, Fives, and the droids left the room and snuck around the ship. Fives and Ahsoka stayed out of the clones and Maul’s way as one of the droids gets into Rex’s way.

“Hey, hey. Out of the way!”

The droids trapped Rex, alone in the room.

“Are you cross-wired?” Rex angrily said.

One of the droids shows Rex a hologram of Ahsoka.

_“Rex. I think I know what’s happening. Fives told me everything. It isn’t your fault. You were programmed and sometimes the truth is hard to believe. Your mind was altered to do this when you were very young. I can help you.”_

“Where are they?!” Rex asks with an angry tone as he points a blaster at the droid.

“I’m right here” Ahsoka says, Fives was stood next to her. Fives used his vambraces to expel ropes to tie Rex up, bringing him to the ground while a droid electrocutes him unconscious.

“Careful! We’re not trying to hurt him” Ahsoka said to the droids.

_“They’ve got the commander. Bring the charges”_ a clone trooper says. Rex’s comm is still on. Ahsoka and Fives make sure Rex is placed gently atop the droids.

“CH-33P, are all the doors sealed, so the way is clear?” Ahsoka asked. The droid beeped in a way that was equivalent to a yes.

“Fives lead the way, we need you ready to shoot in case anything goes wrong.”

“Got it” Fives said as he took the front position.

“Ok, let’s get him to the medical bay” Ahsoka said.

Fives runs up ahead of everyone, making sure the way was clear as clones tried to break through the doors that CH-33P sealed shut. Ahsoka seals every door as everyone goes through it.

From behind a sealed door, Ahsoka can hear a clone say “start working on these doors.”

The medical bay is in sight, Fives quickly opens the door, and Rex is put onto the table. Fives is positioned in the front, in case anyone breaches those doors. He is ready to shoot.

“Make sure that thing is on stun” Ahsoka said before turning to R7, “Run a scan. See if you can find the inhibitor chip Fives talked about.”

“Of course it’s there” Fives said.

The droid beeped in a way that translated to “not there.”

“But it has to be there, check again.”

Another scan was done.

Clones were starting to work on the med bay doors but they were sealed once again.

“G-G, if they override the door controls, you have to reseal it fast" Ahsoka said before turning to R7.

“R7, anything?”

“No” R7 beeped.

“What? It has to be there? It was in me, Tup, every single clone embryo, everyone.” Fives said in desperation, afraid he won’t be believed now that they were so close to having Rex on their side. Ahsoka walked up to Rex. Put her hands on either side of his head and repeated “I am one with the force and the force is with me.”

After a few times, Rex unconsciously repeats the mantra, just as R7 finds the inhibitor chip.

“You found it?” Ahsoka says. Fives breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

“Get him under and remove that thing!” Ahsoka commanded. R7 beeped.

“I know it will work. It worked on Tup when I removed his chip. I’m fine and I removed mine” Fives said to reassure the droid as it obliged to Ahsoka’s command.

As Rex’s chip is getting removed. The clones began to break through the door. Fives has his fingers on the trigger of both blasters. 

“Get ready on the door!” Ahsoka said to G-G. Ahsoka took her lightsabers out and ignited them to reinforce Fives if the clones got through and started shooting. The door opened and they started shooting. Fives shot the first one.

“I said to put that thing in stun!” Ahsoka said as she deflected some bolts and used the force to push them away while Fives put his blasters on stun.

“G-G! The door!” Ahsoka said, soon becoming overwhelmed with more clones than her and Fives could handle together.

As G-G started to get the door closed up, Rex’s surgery was over, and he shot the rest. When Ahsoka and Fives looked back at Rex, he had a terrified expression on his face.

“Rex, are you okay?” Ahsoka asked.

“Yeah. Yeah, kid. I’m okay” Rex replied as he lowered his blasters. Fives patted R7 and said “I told you it would work.”

“I’m sorry for what happened earlier” Rex said to Ahsoka as he clutched his head, where the chip was removed. He then turned to Fives and saying “sorry I didn’t initially believe you and led to you getting into the mess you got in.”

Rex sat upright over the side of the table while continuing to clutch his head.

“I almost killed you" Rex paused before saying "the entire grand army of the Republic has been ordered to hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights. It’s just as Fives predicted” Rex says.

“I tried to warn you” Fives said.

“Now is not the time for bickering about the past” Ahsoka said.

Everyone’s attention turned to the door as the clones were beginning to get past it again.

“Put those things in stun. I already made Fives do the same. I don’t want to kill anyone.”

“Tell that to them” Rex snapped as the clones continued working their way through the doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about the cliffhanger but I couldn't help myself haha


	10. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Order 66 has been declared, now Ahsoka, Fives, and Rex must escape their former comrades if they are to survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: brief description of a corpse   
> (If you want to skip it, the description starts in the paragraph that begins with "Rex wasn't ready for what he was about to see", that paragraph ends with "Ahsoka soon joined the two".)

Rex and Fives pointed their blasters at the doors.

“They’re almost through,” Rex says.

“Wait,” Ahsoka said.

“What exactly are we waiting for?” Fives asked.

“Just wait” Ahsoka replied.

The door is almost completely sawed off. Once the clones saw the last bit. Ahsoka pushes the door out using the Force, knocking away a bunch of clones. Those who aren’t immediately knocked away are stunned by Rex and Fives. Ahsoka deflects blaster bolts ensuring Rex or Fives don’t get shot. Clones seem to be coming from all sides and acted as if they were droids, intent on one objective, annihilate Ahsoka Tano and anyone who helps her. There were now four targets on this ship:

  * Target 1: Former Jedi padawan, Ahsoka Tano.
  * Target 2: Former Sith Lord, Maul the prisoner.
  * Target 3: Former ARC Trooper, CT-5555.
  * Target 4: Commander, CT-7567, soon to be former Commander.



Ahsoka uses the force when possible to help out Rex and Fives, throwing the clones through the hallways. Fives wants to use his flamethrowers but he knows Ahsoka wouldn’t want that, considering she already told him and Rex to put their blasters into stun mode.

“R7, find us a path out of here!” Ahsoka says as she switches her focus on another hallway shortly after Ahsoka used the force. R7 managed to close some doors, helping Ahsoka, Fives and Rex. Fives slid down the hallway that was left open, stunning every clone in his way.

“Coast is clear!” Fives says.

“All right. Now what?” Rex asks. 

R7 beeps.

“The escape pods have been destroyed. Taking a shuttle is our best bet” Ahsoka said.

Rex simply nods and as he begins to walk one of the clones audibly breathes, taking Rex aback. He says “The boys are having a rough time of it. Did you hear Maul also escaped?”

“I let him out” Ahsoka said. 

“What? Why?” Rex asked.

“I asked the same question” Fives says.

“Diversion. Come on!” Ahsoka said.

Just as Rex leaves, Maul enters the hallway with a clone’s comm _“Target number one and three have escaped the medical bay. We’re in pursuit.”_

Jesse says through the comm _“What is the status of target 3, CT-5555 and CT-7567? Did they aid in her escape?”_

_“I think so. I’m certain for CT-5555. I’m unsure for Commander Rex but it’s likely. He’s still missing in action. Hasn’t answered his comm.”_

_“Hunt them all down”_ Jesse said through the comm.

As Fives, Rex and Ahsoka run through the ship, the rumbling got much worse and suddenly the ship left hyperspace.

“What the fuck?” Fives said.

“Maul, that’s what!” Rex said.

“I needed a diversion!” Ahsoka said defensively.

“I don’t like the sound of that” Rex said as the alarms started blaring.

They reach the hangar bay control center.

“The Hangar bay doors are sealed. They’ve got everything locked down” Rex said defeatedly.

“What can we do now? We’re all being hunted down. This is all my failure, because I didn’t do more to stop this from happening” Fives said.

“You had no other choice. You did what you could do” Ahsoka said reassuringly while looking him in the eyes through the T-visor. Fives took off his helmet. The gravity of the situation smacked him in the face as he put his free hand on his head as a tear slipped from the uncovered eye. “Now they’re trying to kill us when I could’ve stopped it!”

“If they weren’t trying to kill us, I’d be proud” Rex said.

“It’s not like they have a choice! Their inhibitor chips stripped that away from them and I failed to stop it!”

“R7, start unlocking the doors on bay 12” Ahsoka said.

“CH-33P, prep the shuttles”

“G-G, find out what happened to the ship.”

“Maul probably destroyed the hyperdrive, it was not a good idea to let him out! But what’s the point? Our brothers have turned on us from something they had no control over, and we’re royally fucked because I failed to stop this from happening!” Fives said, also feeling defeated.

“You were where you needed to be” Ahsoka said.

“We’re caught in that moon’s gravitational field” Rex said, looking at the holo map.

“R7, open the main hangar doors. We need to get out of here.”

The doors open, revealing a shuttle, but a bunch of clones lay in wait, waiting for Ahsoka, Rex, and Fives. Jesse standing out front. 

“Hold your position men. If they try to leave, they’ll have to go through us!” Jesse said as he and the other men looked up at the control center.

Fives didn’t need to see Jesse’s face to know the damage the chip did was bad. Jesse didn’t even sound like the same person.

“No, I wasn’t! I needed to help those soldiers, my brothers! Now, they’re down there, waiting to kill us, and stunning them won’t help much! We don’t have the numbers to fight and stun our way to the shuttle!” Fives said, emotion creeping its way into his voice.

“I don’t want to hurt them” Ahsoka quietly said. 

“I hate to tell you this, but they don’t care! This ship is going down and those soldiers, our brothers are willing to die and take you, me and him along with them!” Rex said. Ahsoka walked towards Rex and removed his helmet, like Fives, Rex had also been crying, he just didn’t show it as much as Fives.

“You’re a good soldier, Rex, as are you Fives, so is every man down there. They may be willing to die but I will not be the one to kill them” Ahsoka said. Rex simply looked down and closed his eyes. Fives did the same as he put his helmet back on.

“So, we’re just gonna surrender? Admit defeat? Is that it?” Rex said.

“Not on my watch” Fives said. “The day I surrender is the moment I die.”

“Well today could easily be that day” Rex said.

“Nobody’s surrendering” Ahsoka said, trying to calm down the anxious clones.

“I don’t see any other option” Rex said. 

“I have an idea” Ahsoka says as she looks down at the crowd of clones.

“Can I count on the three of you?” Ahsoka said as she kneeled down to the 3 droids. The three droids beep approvingly.

“Good, I’ll explain on the way!” Ahsoka says as Rex quickly puts on his helmet. 

They get down to the hangar bay as Rex has his blasters pointed in two directions. One at Ahsoka’s head and one at Five’s head. Both people have their hands above their heads.

“Hold your fire!” Rex yells as he lightly hits Ahsoka with the gun, keeping up the charade. He does the same to Fives soon after. 

“We have Tano and the commander. Send all remaining troops to my position” Jesse says into his comm.

“I said hold your fire, Jesse! I have the situation under control.”

“You have your order, sir. Now execute them or I will!” Jesse yells.

“The order was to execute the Jedi for treason against the Republic. The problem is Ahsoka Tano is no longer a Jedi, hasn’t been for quite some time and why are we trying to execute Fives? One of our own?”

Jesse lowers his guns for a moment to think about this before raising them yet again “Fives already has a warrant for treason and deserting, and you said yourself we’re under special order from Darth Sidious to eliminate Ahsoka Tano and any other clone who disobeys Order 66.”

Ahsoka looks to the droids and whispers “just keep him talking a little longer.”

Fives was resisting the urge to speak as Rex kept going.

“Jesse, Jesse. Listen to me. We’ve known each other a long time. If we don’t get this right, we will be the ones committing treason, not her or him.”

“Fives committed treason the second he spoke out about the inhibitor chips!”

“Jesse! Do you even hear yourself! You sound like General Krell! Remember, when we were the targets of a firing squad all because of our better judgment directing us onto a different path?!” Fives said, unable to resist the urge no longer.

“Yes, I do, and don’t you dare compare me to General Krell! He was a traitor, just like you are now!” Jesse said before looking at Rex, “Commander Rex, you’re in violation of Order 66. I accuse you of treason against the Grand Army of the Republic. You’ll be demoted in rank from commander and subject to execution along with the traitors, Ahsoka Tano and CT-5555!

“You tell me not to compare you to General Krell yet can’t even use my name anymore?! Darth Sidious the Supreme Chancellor got your mind warped so much that you are blind to his plan that is now coming into fruition!”

“Ready” Ahsoka whispered while Fives was talking.

“Yea, I didn’t like being a commander much anyway.”

“Company, ready. Aim!” Jesse says.

“Now!” Ahsoka said as the droid releases the platform from underneath two groups of clones, leaving only a third of the clones, a much more manageable amount. Jesse immediately turned around to shoot Ahsoka but Ahsoka force pushed him off one of the ledges. Rex gave Ahsoka back her lightsabers to deflect bullets as he and Fives start stunning the clone troopers.

Maul also joins the fun, he eyes the shuttle Ahsoka had picked for her escape and makes a run for it. Fives attempts to stop him, using his jetpack to catch up to him

“Maul dead ahead, going for our ship!” Fives says.

Ahsoka and Rex try to catch up, jumping over the chasm they had created.

Fives kicks Maul but he uses the force to push Fives away.

“You wanted this chaos!” Maul said as he threw some boxes in Rex and Ahsoka’s way. Maul didn’t bother with Fives as he tried to get into the shuttle. Maul force pushes Ahsoka away after she dodged the boxes. Ahsoka used her lightsabers as a grip while Rex went to help her, and G-G ensured she didn’t die at that moment by using his grappling hook. Fives continued after Maul but Maul used the force to deflect every stun bolt. Fives got closer to Maul and went to kick Maul but Maul got his leg and threw Fives back to the ground as he took the shuttle. Fives continued after him while Ahsoka climbed G-G’s rope, just as Jesse woke up from his unconsciousness as well as several other clones. They immediately begin shooting at Ahsoka who uses a lightsaber to deflect all the clones' blaster bolts. Rex is also attempting to stun them all again.

“Fives! Get over here!” Rex yells.

“But Maul’s taking the shuttle!” Fives yells back.

“We need your help over here!” Rex said. Fives groaned but went to help Rex stun the clone troopers.

“Move it! Get those lifts activated. Get us up there!” Jesse said to the other troopers.

“Our Panel’s locked out!”

“Fire on those droids then!” Jesse said.

Fives looks over and sees Maul starting to fly away with the shuttle, just as Ahsoka is finished climbing. Ahsoka attempts to use the force while Fives uses his jetpack to get on top of Maul’s shuttle. He attempts to open the door, but Maul used the force to push him off the shuttle as Maul revved up the engines further, making Ahsoka’s job harder.

Fives used his jetpack to land softly onto the ground as he grabbed Ahsoka’s hand to prevent her from sliding over the edge of the platform. Fives began to slide too so Rex went to help him. R7 beeped to let them know that more clones were coming before a clone shoots R7. Rex turned around and stunned them. Fives peeked out from behind Rex and used one of his blasters to stun them too.

Ahsoka accidentally lets go of Fives’ hand and continued trying to pull Maul back in.

“There’s too many of them!” Fives said.

“We can’t hold them off!” Rex said. Ahsoka decided to let Maul go and help out Rex and Fives after Rex’s shoulder pad gets shot. Fives’ armour is much stronger but a bolt had grazed the side of his helmet. They became surrounded by clones. Ahsoka uses her lightsabers to make a circular hole in the floor, dropping her, Rex and Fives down a level where they are met by another group of clones. Seems Jesse was smart enough to have multiple groups.

“Blast them!” Jesse said. Fives, Rex, and Ahsoka begin doing the same thing that they did when they were up a level while CH-33P and G-G manipulate the platforms to move up a level, getting the clones away from them.

_“Blast those dirty droids!”_ Jesse ordered and the clones obliged.

The group splits up. Ahsoka jumps over to a group and force pushes a group away from her. Rex stuns a few more while Fives uses his jetpack and stuns some from up above while he looks for a working ship. Rex and Ahsoka run while doing the same thing.

“Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Everything down here is under maintenance!” Rex shouted.

“There!” Ahsoka said, pointing at a shuttle that is the same type as the one Maul stole, just as Fives touched down next to Rex. They begin shooting at the clones who have come by. Fives comes up with an idea for getting themselves over there.

“Does everyone have one hand available?” Fives asks. Rex puts a blaster away and Ahsoka puts a lightsaber away. Fives grabs both free hands and uses his jetpack to get them over to the shuttle, it’s. One of the clones shoots at Fives jetpack, causing Fives to almost drop both people. Rex’s hand slips and he almost falls off the shuttle. Ahsoka uses the force to pull him back as they get into the shuttle, just as the ship breaks apart. Fives quickly takes the driver's seat and starts flying the shuttle while still being shot at by Jesse and the others.

As they fly out of the ship, Fives looks back to see Jesse and the others slide down the ship, likely to their death spots. Fives turns around, to keep focused on the skies ahead. Trying to fly away from the ship while it burns and breaks up in the atmosphere of the moon. Rex takes off his helmet and looks down for a moment as Fives flies away from the debris. Ahsoka looked out the window and looked to be on the verge of tears. This was not supposed to end this way.

* * *

Once the ship hits the ground, Fives lands the shuttle a small distance away at Ahsoka’s request. Ahsoka got out of the shuttle and inspected the damage while Fives took off his helmet and looked down, resting his forehead on the steering controls. Rex moved to reassure him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry Rex” Fives quietly said.

“There’s no need to be sorry” Rex said.

“I failed you, I failed them all” Fives said as he stood up and got out of the shuttle. Rex followed behind.

Ahsoka was inspecting the crash site when she gestured for Rex and Fives, who were now out of the shuttle to join her.

She quietly said “I think we should bury them, show to whoever sees this that they were people” Ahsoka said.

Rex and Fives were silent, unsure what to think until Fives piped up “I agree, everyone just sees us as another number.”

Rex wasn’t ready for what he was about to see of his brothers and Fives could tell. While Ahsoka began moving some crash pieces, Fives walked up to Rex and said “you’ll feel better knowing you did this rather than leaving their bodies to the elements.”

Rex reluctantly went with Fives towards Ahsoka.

Fives and Rex brought shovels from inside the shuttle with them as Ahsoka began finding some of the bodies.

Each grave had a grave marker, marked with the particular clone's helmet. By the time they had found Jesse’s body, there were already a couple rows of gravesites. Burying Jesse was particularly difficult, Rex and Fives were close with him and had been through so much with him. For Fives, it was when they disobeyed General Krell and destroyed the supply ship, losing Hardcase in the process and then facing execution only for the clones in the firing squad to side with them instead of Krell. For Rex, it was also Umbara, but many other missions, like during the battle of Saleucami when Rex was injured, Anaxes, and the Siege of Mandalore. Jesse was one of the few constants in the 501st. Fives was the one who found him and began to drag him out of the ship while Rex dug a hole to lay Jesse’s corpse in. Fives removed Jesse’s helmet and immediately had to take his eyes off of Jesse’s face. Jesse’s eyes were open when he died, and his face had a frown on it. There was a dry mark on Jesse’s face, it looked like a dried-on trail of a tear. Maybe Jesse had felt some remorse, or more likely, he was sad that he had to kill Rex as per the orders from Order 66 that screwed his mind up permanently as like what happened to Tup. The explosion damaged some of Jesse’s armour, half of one of his pauldrons was gone completely and there was a giant hole in his chest plate. Rex buried Jesse in the ground of the planet while Ahsoka used a stick as a place to put his helmet on. Rex looked upon the grave and felt himself fall. He caught himself by placing his hand on the shovel handle, keeping himself crouched above Jesse’s grave where Rex began to quietly cry. Fives noticed this and came over to comfort Rex. Ahsoka soon joined the two.

Once all the bodies were buried, neither Rex nor Fives could take it anymore. Looking at the graves of their brothers, the men they fought side by side with were a great source of pain for the two. Rex took the shovel back to the ship and Fives accompanied him. Rex looked towards Ahsoka, who stood there in a hooded robe and looked upon the graves. Thinking back throughout the war. Thinking of where it all went so wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next two chapters are epilogues, one for Bo-Katan and Ursa, and the other for Fives and Rex


	11. Epilogue Part 1: Bo-Katan and Ursa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bo-Katan has taken Mandalore but how long will she have it before the empire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Implied/referenced kidnapping and torture in the paragraph starting with "Bring him in" and ending with "Bo-Katan is horrified"

Everything changed since Fives snuck onto the _Venator_. While Bo-Katan had Mandalore, it was only a matter of time until the newly-founded Galactic Empire would come to her doorstep in Sundari. But today, an old friend arrived at her doorstep.

“Ursa! I wasn’t expecting you today” Bo-Katan said as she greeted Ursa, her husband, and Sabine.

“How’s palace life been?” Ursa asked as she walked in.

“It’s a nice change of pace” Bo-Katan said. She paused before asking “would you like some tea?”

“Sure” Ursa said.

Bo-Katan made some tea and brought it to the dining table that Ursa and Alrich sat to with Alrich holding Sabine in his lap.

“How being home with the baby?” Bo-Katan asked.

“I like it” Ursa said with a smile while she tickled Sabine, causing her to laugh. 

“Though, Alrich’s more of a natural parent than me” Ursa said with a chuckle while looking at her husband.

“Why did you come anyways? I know you don’t leave Krownest unless you have a good reason, especially now” Bo-Katan says while taking a sip of her tea.

“I wanted to tell you this in person” Ursa said, she paused for a moment before continuing “I’m pregnant.”

“Oh my gosh, that’s amazing!” Bo-Katan said before giving her friend a hug.

“Yea, we’re here for a checkup, we want to find out whether we’re expecting a little boy or a little girl” Ursa said.

“My prediction is a boy” Alrich said.

“He just wants a son so he’s not the only man in the house” Ursa teased.

“I’m so happy for you two!” Bo-Katan excitedly said.

“Thank you” Ursa said.

“I’ll get the protectors to set up some quarters for you three to stay in tonight” Bo-Katan said as she summoned one of the guards in her apartment to take their things.

* * *

Ursa went to her appointment while Bo-Katan looked after Sabine. Bo-Katan was never great with children. She observed Sabine playing with some blocks she brought with her. She looked like she was trying to create something other than an ordinary tower, it looked like a castle. So, the kid’s creative, Bo-Katan thought. Sabine was already starting to take after her father.

Bo-Katan decided to sit down next to Sabine. Sabine kind of coiled away at first.

“Don’t worry, I don’t bite” Bo-Katan said as she started helping Sabine build her castle. Sabine slowly started to warm up to Bo-Katan.

“Where’s mommy” Sabine said as well as she could. Some of her pronunciations still weren’t great but what else could be expected from a toddler who just learned how to talk.

“Mommy will be back soon” Bo-Katan replied before asking “do you want food?”

Sabine made a few noises which Bo-Katan interpreted to mean yes.

Korkie walked in while Bo-Katan was fixing Sabine a snack.

_“Su'cuy!”_ Sabine said immediately to Korkie.

“Oh, so you immediately like Korkie but not me” Bo-Katan joked. 

“How was your day?” Bo-Katan asked Korkie while giving Sabine her snack.

“Good, who’s the baby?” Korkie asked.

“Ursa’s on Mandalore today, I’m looking after Sabine while Ursa’s gone” Bo-Katan said.

“Oh, so can I assume we’ll have a nice meal cooked tonight?” Korkie asked, teasingly.

“What’s wrong with my cooking?!” Bo-Katan replied lightheartedly.

“Nothing, you just don’t do it often” Korkie replied. Korkie wasn’t wrong. Bo-Katan didn’t cook much nor was she a great cook.

Ursa returned from her appointment a few hours later. Sabine immediately went up to her. Ursa picked up Sabine while Alrich asked “How was she while we were gone?”

“Not too bad, she got along with Korkie pretty well” Bo-Katan said while Korkie smiled and waved to Alrich. Ursa and Bo-Katan walked away from the group as Ursa put Sabine to bed for a nap before dinner.

“So, is it a boy or a girl?” Bo-Katan asked just after Ursa set Sabine down.

“A boy” Ursa said.

“Congrats!” Bo-Katan said.

“Thanks, though I lost my bet with Alrich” Ursa said.

“What bet?”

“I predicted that we would have a girl and he said a boy. Whoever was right would get to decorate the baby’s room.”

“It can’t be that bad, he’s an artist anyways” Bo-Katan commented.

“True, I just like to have control over what goes into our stronghold” Ursa said lightheartedly.

“Fair enough, everything in this palace was either leftover from Satine, my father, or anything I approved” Bo-Katan said.

After Sabine’s nap, dinner was served in the large hall as opposed to Bo-Katan’s apartment.

“You’re making me feel like some kind of dignitary” Ursa joked as dinner was brought out to Bo-Katan, Ursa, Alrich, Korkie, and Sabine.

“You did come from another planet and you’re a clan leader” Bo-Katan replied.

“Yea but still within Mandalorian space and we’re here as friends” Ursa said.

“Whatever, I like to treat my guests with the best I can” Bo-Katan said with a chuckle.

Sabine was playing with her food, much to Alrich’s amusement, not so much to Ursa. Ursa placed the fork in Sabine’s hand in an effort for her to use a fork. Sabine turned to her mother and gave her an angry pout. Alrich simply chuckled, as did Korkie.

“I forgot to ask, how’s school been going lately? You don’t talk about it much” Bo-Katan asked Korkie while Alrich and Ursa were dealing with Sabine making a mess of her food.

“Good though I’m kinda worried” Korkie said.

“Oh? Why?” Bo-Katan asked.

“Every day we get shown more Empire stuff. I can tell it’s propaganda but my teachers wholeheartedly believe it. I’m concerned.”

Bo-Katan was deeply worried by what Korkie had said. The empire was slowly showing up at other planets doors and it was only a matter of time before they would show up on Mandalore.

“That’s very worrying, I’ll need to talk to the school” Bo-Katan said.

Despite being the regent, there wasn’t much Bo-Katan could do against the empire. She could make suggestions to the school board but that would risk the empire coming faster than they would’ve otherwise and Bo-Katan would not work with the empire.

Ursa, Alrich and Sabine left the next morning leaving Bo-Katan to her own devices. She was contemplating whether to take Korkie’s concerns to the school board or to hold off in an effort to not quicken the pace the empire would come knocking on her door.

Time went by and each day, Korkie became more and more frustrated with the quality of education he was receiving. Today he had even brought a list of people he knew who were also dissatisfied with the education they were receiving.

Korkie placed the sheet of paper on his aunt's desk.

“What’s this?” Bo-Katan asked as she picked it up.

“A petition. This is a list of myself and everyone else who is dissatisfied with the education this school is giving us. It’s propaganda! Not education.”

Satine taught him well, Bo-Katan thought. She knew she had to act, for her people’s sake, regardless of the empire.

“I’ll take this to the school board, thanks Korkie” Bo-Katan said.

“No problem” Korkie said before leaving.

Bo-Katan arranged a meeting with the board of directors of the school board.

“Lady Bo-Katan, what brings you here today?” The head of the school board asked.

“My nephew is expressing concerns about the quality of education he is receiving at the Royal Academy of Government,” Bo-Katan said, trying to sound professional. She takes out what Korkie gave her and presented it to the board. “My nephew is not the only student who feels this way.”

“We can’t cater the education system to one person just because he’s related to you” the director says.

“No, my point is that he’s not the only student who feels this way” Bo-Katan said.

“Are you telling us to go against the empire? That’s treason” the director said. She hated dealing with him, Augustus Saxon, but she needed to keep the clans happy. Especially clan Saxon who was largely unhappy and threatening revolt after the republic left the planet. Augustus was an elderly man, apparently the grand-uncle of both Gar and Daria but he had surrendered immediately when Bo-Katan and some of the Nite Owls questioned the clan after the Republic had left.

“I’m not saying that. However, I think you and I agree that the children of Mandalore have a right to a quality education” Bo-Katan said.

“We’ll look into it” Augustus said.

Bo-Katan knew when she left that meeting that Augustus was lying. Daria might have claimed that not all Saxon’s are liars but a lot of them are.

* * *

Bo-Katan came home to a holo message from Ursa.

_“Hey, Bo! I thought you’d like to know that Sabine has put on her new helmet!”_ Ursa said. The picture attached was Sabine wearing Daria’s helmet. The helmet didn’t quite fit her yet, it was still too big. It was refurbished and the damage done to it during Daria’s fatal fight with Gar Saxon was fixed. Some of the fixed regions were repainted to look like Daria’s helmet once did, Alrich probably worked some magic. Daria’s helmet was a red-pink colour, in line with her clan colour, red but made a little girly with the pink, and some grey, some of which was already there and some that looked fixed on the bottom left side, where Saxon damaged it during their duel. The only other decoration was the Nite Owl symbols which remained on the helmet. It probably won’t stay grey but that might have been a good thing given the circumstances. Bo-Katan smiled at the picture. Daria wouldn’t have wanted her helmet to be wasted after her death so Bo-Katan was glad it would be used once again.

Bo-Katan’s thoughts were interrupted when one of the protectors burst into her apartment.

“Someone’s escaping the prison!”

Bo-Katan quickly put on her armour and went down with some protectors. Gar Saxon was gone, as were all of Maul’s supporters.

“How could this have happened?” Bo-Katan asked.

The protector she was talking to walked her further down the hall where the protectors guarding that exit were dead. Her attention was diverted when some more began shooting at something. Bo-Katan ran outside and used her jetpack to shoot at the speeder escaping the prison.

People in the speeder fired back and took out another protector and eventually shooting one of her shoulder pads. Thank the force for _beskar_.

_“Lady Bo-Katan! You need to come back down before you get killed!”_ one of the protectors said in his comm.

Bo-Katan reluctantly obliged as more people in the escaping speeder shot at her.

Korkie was in her apartment when she returned from the scuffle at the prison. Bo-Katan looked utterly defeated.

“Aunt Bo, are you okay?” Korkie asked when he saw her.

“Yea Korkie, go to bed, it’s late” Bo-Katan said.

“I’m supposed to take over the throne someday, shouldn’t I know what’s going on?” Korkie asked.

“Prison break, that’s all you need to know” Bo-Katan said as she went to her room to take off her armour. Korkie gave up trying and decided to go to bed. He had a busy day at school the next morning. 

* * *

Bo-Katan woke up soon after Korkie left for school. Despite the events from last night, today was quiet, too quiet until she heard unrest in the streets. She heard one person shout “For Mandalore!”

As she sat down to eat some breakfast, her comm went off.

_“There’s an incident in the throne room!”_

Bo-Katan leapt to her feet, put on her armour and ran to the throne room where the protectors were holding off a group backed by the empire. There were about 10 times more stormtroopers than there were Mandalorian protectors and these stormtroopers were backed by some Mandalorians, in particular, Clan Saxon. Gar Saxon was leading this march into the palace.

“What do you want Saxon?” Bo-Katan yelled as she walked in.

“Your throne!”

“Never!”

‘So, you’re against the empire” Gar replied.

“I will not do the empire’s bidding!”

“Then you will die to these weapons” Gar said, showcasing his armour before adding, “just like your dear friend did.”

The two sides clashed, despite Bo-Katan knowing their forces outnumbered hers. She would do whatever it takes to keep her throne.

“Surrender to the empire, Lady Bo-Katan!” Gar said as he began cornering her.

“No” Bo-Katan replied.

“I got something that will make you reconsider” Gar said before turning to his comm,

“Bring him in, Lord Vader.”

She could hear Darth Vader’s ominous breathing before she saw him. He towered above all the stormtroopers and most of the Mandalorians. He had a lightsaber on his belt. He revealed the hostage he had taken, who was being escorted by two more stormtroopers. Korkie.

Vader held his red lightsaber to Korkie’s neck, there is a length of cloth tied around Korkie’s head and stuck in his mouth, preventing him from talking. It’s obvious this cloth came from his pants leg as one leg of his pants is missing a length of fabric. Korkie is beaten and battered. Cuts, scrapes and bruises all over his body. Bo-Katan is horrified.

“Surrender your throne, or he dies, right here, right now. If you surrender your throne, the boy is yours” Vader says. Bo-Katan sighs and makes a decision she hoped to never make.

“Fine” Bo-Katan said. Vader freed Korkie as promised and the two leave the palace, finding a way off-world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Mando'a translations:  
> Su'cuy: Hi  
> Beskar: Mandalorian iron


	12. Epilogue Part 2: Fives and Rex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fives and Rex traverse the outer rim, hoping not to run into the empire

Fives and Rex had been wandering the outer rim ever since they parted ways with Ahsoka. They were drifting from planet to planet, trying to evade the empire. They needed fuel so they landed on the nearest planet, to their surprise, they landed near a crash site.

“It looks somewhat new” Fives said, looking around the crash site. He’s looked around every crash site, hoping they’ll find Kix, whether alive or dead.

“Fives, we’re not here to investigate a crash, that time in our lives is gone. Besides, even if Kix were still alive, he’s probably a stormtrooper or more likely, he’s dead.” Rex said.

“First off, stop being so down and out, we gotta make the best of this situation, and secondly, I’m allowed to be curious, besides, maybe it’s a good thing to investigate every crash. Even if I don’t find what I’m looking for there could be something we can sell for credits” Fives replied.

“C’mon Fives, we’re not staying on this planet long” Rex said in a stern tone.

“How about this, I stay with the ship, you go look for food and fuel?” Fives asked.

“Fine” Rex said as he left.

Unbeknownst to Fives, another ship crashed nearby, and they too proceeded towards the same crash site. 

Fives approached the crash site and began to investigate. He uses a flashlight he found on the ship as the ruins are fairly dark.

“Seppie ship? All the way out here?” Fives questioned before he heard some more footsteps. He immediately turned around and drawn his blaster. Fives turned to see five people behind him. They all wore grey ponchos and had what appeared to be red and grey armour.

“Woah woah, easy there buddy” the person in front said.

“Who’s to say when I lower my gun that you won’t kill me?” Fives said.

“Because we’re clones too” a second person said.

“Don’t even deny it, you literally sound like the rest of us” a taller one said condescendingly.

“On 3 we take our helmets off, sound good?” the person seemingly in charge says.

“Fine” Fives said.

“1.”

“2.”

“3.”

Everyone pulls down the hoods of their ponchos and takes off their helmets. Fives is looking at Hunter, Crosshair, Tech, Wrecker, Echo who are looking back at him.

“Huh, so you are clones but you look different” Fives says.

“Says the clone in Mandalorian armour” Crosshair says.

“Don't worry about Crosshair here, he's a little rough around the edges. We have so-called desirable mutations but that kinda backfired on the empire" Hunter said with a chuckle. 

"Oh? Why?" 

"Well, there was an uprising on Kamino around the time order 66 was declared" Hunter said.

"Uprising? We led it!" Wrecker said with pride. 

"Uh Wrecker, a few Kaminoans led it, not us" Tech said, correcting him.

"But wouldn't have you been affected by the chips?" Fives asked. 

"Nah, Tech here noticed something weird in some routine brain scans that we get done. Y'know to make sure our mutations are not causing more harm than good" Hunter said. 

"I went behind the doctors' backs and removed them," Tech said. 

Fives and Echo seemed to notice one another while Tech was talking.

"Echo?" Fives asked in disbelief.

“Fives? I thought you were dead, Rex told me that you had gone missing and the 501st presumed you to be dead” Echo said.

“Echo? How did you-, I’m so sorry for leaving you there, if I had known-“

“Don’t worry about it, you did what you had to” Echo replied.

“Let’s investigate this thing” Tech said.

“Wait so I can’t blow it up?” Wrecker asked.

“No Wrecker, we aren’t blowing up anything today” Crosshair says. Wrecker groaned as Fives shone his flashlight into the crash site.

Out of nowhere, Rex came up behind them.

“I see you found Echo” Rex said.

“Don't scare me like that!” Fives said after getting a fright.

“So, Hunter, how did you guys get here?” Rex asked the Bad Batch.

“We crashed." Hunter said.

“So, what happened to you two?” Echo asked.

“Well Kix went missing after he left with Cody, we’ve been looking for him but it hasn’t been successful.” Rex said.

“I ended up with a group of Mandalorians after I was forced on the run because I found out about the inhibitor chips.” Fives said.

In the background, the group hears the sound of metal crashing. They turn around to see Wrecker with a powered down a battle droid.

“Sorry, instincts” Wrecker said as he crushed the battle droids head.

So far in the crash site exploration process, the group found nothing.

“Fives, when will you accept that Kix is probably dead? You don’t need to search every crash site.”

“Hang on. This looks like the thing we found Echo in” Tech said as they found a large metal container. It was cool to the touch.

“Scan for lifeforms” Echo said.

Tech obliged and did a scan. Tech gasped as his scanners beeped.

“There’s a life form” Tech said.

“If it’s a life form, it’s not a droid” Hunter said.

“Nah shit sherlock” Crosshair replied.

“How about we get this thing open?” Fives asked.

“Sounds like a plan” Tech said as he worked on opening this container that he now concluded was a stasis chamber. 

Tech worked on opening up the chamber.

“Nice armour by the way” Echo said, looking at the Mandalorian helmet that Fives was holding.

“Thanks, your new look suits you too” Fives replied, noticing that Echo no longer sported a 501st helmet. 

“Thanks, I joined them after Rex found me. They’re clones but different, they all have desirable mutations and after everything after the Citadel, I felt I fit in better with them than with the 501st. Their unit was named after 99 by the way” Echo said as he showed Fives his metal arm.

“I'm glad someone honoured good ol' 99" Fives said. He paused before asking "so, you’re telling me that you’re essentially R2 but in clone form?”, amazed by Echo’s new arm.

“I guess” Echo said with a chuckle.

“Guys, I think I got this open” Tech said as he pushed a few more buttons, the chamber came open. This was nowhere near as sophisticated as the chamber used by the Techno Union. There were much fewer gadgets. The clones were shocked when they saw Kix’s cold body dangle out of the chamber. There were 2 restraints holding him into the chamber. A droid awoke as they started to take Kix out of the chamber which Fives quickly shot. Wrecker walked over to the shot droid and crushed it, making sure it was dead while Tech and Echo helped Kix out of the chamber.

Kix immediately noticed Fives and despite Kix’s weakened state he immediately went towards him just as Tech and Echo detached him from the chamber.

Kix managed to stand up but didn’t try to walk as he looked directly at Fives and said.

“Fives, I’m so glad to see you. I looked into what you told me.”

“Thanks, Kix, thanks for believing me” Fives said, trying to see what Kix will say next.

“We gotta tell the Jedi. We can stop this!” Kix said. Kix then notices everyone else around him.

“Kix, you’ve been out a little while. The war is over and we cannot go to the Jedi" Fives said with a pained expression on his face.

“No. It can’t be” Kix said, “everything we fought for, it was all a lie so that the Chancellor could grab power. He was on both sides the whole time” Kix said as his voice began to trail off and he fell unconscious.

“Kix!” Fives said.

“He’ll be fine, let’s bring him to your ship” Tech said after looking Kix over.

“Sounds like a good idea” Rex said as he gently picked Kix up and carried him out of the ship ruins.

When they return to their ship, they bring Kix in and lower him into a chair.

“How bad is the crash on your ship?” Rex asked Hunter.

“She’s fucked if I’m gonna be honest” Hunter says. He brings Rex outside and points to a set of smoldering remains a few klicks away.

“That’s our ship” Hunter said.

“Yikes, can’t say I’m surprised if it was anything like the way you came in during our mission to Anaxes and Skako Minor” Rex said with a chuckle.

“Fair enough but Wrecker’s sad that the Naboo senator art we had on the ship didn’t survive the crash."

Rex couldn’t say he was disappointed by the news. General Skywalker had strong feelings about that art.

"Do you wanna catch a ride with us?” Rex asked.

“Sure, I actually got a tip from another clone we worked with once. We told him what you told Tech and he managed to take out his chip before Order 66. He’s on Seelos.” Hunter said.

“Oh? What Jedi did he report to? I might know him” Rex said.

“Uh General Plo I think, I knew he was the commander of the 104th. Wolffe might have been his name” Hunter said.

“Oh, I know Wolffe. Let’s go!” Rex said as they left the surface of Ponemah.

Seelos was quite a distance from Ponemah so the bad batch knew they needed to make themselves at home in Rex’s ship for a while. Kix eventually woke up but was very weak and struggled to re-adapt to a world outside his stasis chamber, almost like Echo when he was taken out of his stasis chamber.

“You doing better?” Fives asked

“Yea, I think so” Kix said.

“So, are we going to the Republic?” Kix asked, seemingly having forgotten the conversation they had immediately after he got out of the stasis chamber.

“Uh, there’s a slight problem” Fives said.

“What is it?” Kix asked with a sad look in his eyes.

Fives was equally sad to tell him about the crumbling of the Republic.

“Rex is the better one to tell you this than I am” Fives said.

Fives walked into the cockpit where Rex was sitting.

“Kix seems to be feeling a lot better than the last time he woke up. I think he might be ready to find out what happened.”

Rex says nothing as he leaves the cockpit, Fives followed close behind.

Rex walked back where Tech and Echo were sitting with Kix.

“Hey buddy” Rex said.

“Hey Rex” Kix replied.

“How you feeling?”

“Good” Kix said as he stood up.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t find you earlier” Rex said.

“It’s fine, not like I was aware of it anyways” Kix joked with a sad smile.

“It just sucks when you know what was planned and before you get the chance to tell anyone you get kidnapped by the seppies” Kix frustratedly said.

“If it makes you feel better, the seppies are even worse off than the Republic” Rex said.

“Huh?” Kix asked.

“The Republic became the current empire, the Seppies are dead. Order 66 was declared” Rex said.

“Ohhhh” Kix said as if he had just had a revelation. 

“What of the Jedi?”

“They’re gone, Kix” Fives said.

Kix looked like he had been hit with a brick. He was deeply shocked.

“Why didn’t you-” Kix asked as he looked at Fives before Fives interrupted him.

“I couldn’t exactly stay on Coruscant with the Chancellor ordering my death and General Skywalker didn’t believe me anyways.” Fives said.

“That explains the new armour?” Kix asked.

“Yea” Fives replied. 

“Where’s Jesse?” Kix asked next.

Rex looked down before saying “he went through with the order. The ship we were on went down. I wanted to save Jesse so badly, but I couldn’t. I’m sorry.”

Kix looked even more devastated than before. Rex and Fives could understand why. Jesse and Kix were super close. Fives felt similarly when he thought Echo had died or when he wrongfully assumed that Rex betrayed him, but this was different. Jesse wouldn't be coming back.

Fives attempted to comfort Kix but he wasn’t sure what to say. Kix seemed to appreciate the company, nonetheless.

Fives then tried to keep Kix busy with a game of sabacc with Wrecker, Hunter, and Crosshair.

“Why does Crosshair get to deal first” Wrecker groaned.

“Because I won the random draw, get over it” Crosshair said as he dealt the cards.

Hunter whispered to Kix “you gotta watch Crosshair, he is sneaky with the cards. Though this time he doesn’t seem to have cheated.”

“Good to know” Kix replied. 

The game went on for a few rounds until Wrecker got tired of losing.

“It’s rigged I swear!” Wrecker said.

“No, it’s not, you’re just a baby who can’t handle losing” Crosshair said condescendingly. 

“This isn’t fair!” Wrecker said as threw his cards down and walked away.

Tech walked in right after Wrecker left.

“What did you do to him?” Tech asked, looking at Crosshair in particular. 

“Nothing, he’s just mad he hasn’t won a hand in Sabacc” Crosshair said.

“And you’re certain you or anyone else hasn’t cheated?” Tech said with an eyebrow raised.

“I’m positive” Crosshair replied.

Seelos couldn’t come into range soon enough. Not that the bad batch were bad company, they just caused a lot of chaos, with Crosshair’s insensitivity towards Kix, and Wrecker’s childish behaviour, Rex had had enough. Fives and Tech joined Rex in the cockpit. 

“This planet looks like a wasteland” Fives said.

“You’re pretty much correct. The only naturally occurring species are Joopa worms who tend to live under the surface and are considered dangerous by the very few who live on this planet” Tech said, reading off his datapad.

“Of all the places Wolffe could pick” Rex muttered to himself.

The ship landed in front of an abandoned Republic AT-TE walker. Wolffe must have heard the ship land because he immediately came out with a blaster drawn. Rex exited the ship first.

“I’m not here to hurt you” Rex said with his hands up.

“Rex, I’m so glad to see you” Wolffe said, approaching him.

“I brought company too” Rex said as Fives, Tech, Wrecker, Hunter, Echo, and Crosshair stepped out of the ship. Each of whom removed their helmets so Wolffe could recognize them. Wolffe immediately noticed Fives and remembered what happened during the inhibitor chip crisis when everyone thought he had gone crazy.

“I’m so sorry no one believed you by the way.”

“It’s fine, not like we can change anything” Fives replied.

“True” Wolffe said with a sad chuckle. Being brought back to when he witnessed one of his men shoot Plo out of the sky during Order 66.

“Just a forewarning, this is another one of those planets” Wolffe said, emphasizing those.

“Do you mean those as in primitive life form or those as in weird planet?” Rex asked as they walked into Wolffe’s walker that he repurposed to be a home.

“Both” Wolffe said with a chuckle before elaborating “these joopa worms are weird.”

“Tech’s told me all about em” Rex said.

“I’m sure he has” Wolffe said.

Rex and Fives went inside but the Bad Batch stayed outside with Echo feeling conflicted.

“Echo?” Fives asked.

“Why aren’t you coming in?” Wolffe asked the Bad Batch.

“We got other adventures to go on” Hunter said. Fives walked back outside with Echo and said “go wherever you feel your place is.”

Echo paused for a moment but then decided to join Fives and Rex. 

“It was nice having you with us, but we understand and respect your decision” Hunter said as he shook Echo’s hand. Tech, Wrecker, and even Crosshair soon followed suit.

“Thanks Hunter. I feel I’m supposed to be here” Echo said.

“As you should” Hunter said before turning to leave.

Rex walked out next. “We aren’t leaving this planet any time soon if you want our ship” Rex said.

“Thanks” Hunter said as the Bad Batch prepared to leave Seelos.

“It’ll be nice having more company here” Wolffe said to his new roomies as the Bad Batch left, off to whatever adventures await them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter needed to be reevaluated big time thanks to the Bad Batch trailer. If you hadn't seen it, it's so awesome!! I'm hyped! 
> 
> Anyways, thank you all so much for reading!


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